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Our  Big  Boys  and  the  Sunday 
School 


By  A.  H.  McKinney,  Ph.  R 

Practical  Pedagogy  in 

the  Sunday  School 

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Our  Big  Boys  and  the 

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Our  Big  Boys  and  the 

Sunday  School 


y       By 
A.  H.  McKINNEY,  Ph.  D. 


New  York    Chicago    Toronto 
Fleming-  H.  Revell  Company 

London        and        Edinburgh 


Copyright,  19  lo,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  No.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St  W. 
London :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:    100  Princes   Street 


BOYS 

"  A  boy  is  a  man  in  cocoon— you  do  not 
know  what  it  is  going  to  become — his  life  is  big 
with  possibilities.  He  may  make  or  unmake 
kings,  change  boundary  lines  between  states, 
write  books  that  will  mould  characters,  or  invent 
machines  that  will  revolutionize  the  commerce 
of  the  world.  Be  patient  with  the  boys — you 
are  dealing  with  soul  stuff.  Destiny  waits  just 
'round  the  corner." 

James  A.  Garfield,  himself  a  most  illustrious 
example  of  what  can  be  made  from  "  nothing 
but  a  boy,"  once  said:  **  If  the  superior  beings 
of  the  universe  would  look  down  upon  the  world 
to  find  the  most  interesting  object,  it  would  be 
the  unfinished,  unformed  character  of  young 
men." 


I. 

Some  Preliminary  Questions  . 

9 

II. 

When  Do  Boys  Become  Big  ?  . 

i6 

III. 

What  is  a  Big  Boy  ? 

22 

IV. 

Some  Characteristics  of 

Big 

Boys    .... 

28 

V. 

Before  Boys  Become  Big 

35 

VI. 

Especial  Provision   For 

Big 

Boys    .... 

42 

VII. 

Their  Teacher 

►      49 

VIII. 

Their  Intimates 

56 

IX. 

Their  Activity 

.      63 

X. 

Their  Interests 

70 

XI. 

Their  Self-Consciousness 

.      76 

XII. 

Their  Doubts 

83 

XIII. 

Their  Day-Dreams 

.      89 

XIV. 

Their  Love  Affairs 

.      96 

XV. 

Conclusion     . 

,     102 

Our  Big  Boys  and  the 
Sunday  School 


SOME  PRELIMINARY  QUESTIONS 

THERE  are  some  of  our  big  boys 
in  the  Sunday-school ;  many 
are  not  there.  Where  intelli- 
gent attention  has  not  been  paid  to  the 
big  boy,  his  absence  is  more  and  more 
noticeable.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
are  schools  where  the  number  of  big 
boys  in  attendance  is  increasing.  There 
must  be  reasons  for  the  presence  or  the 
absence  of  these  youths.  The  big  boy 
very  soon  becomes  a  man ;  hence  the 
way  he  is  handled  will  largely  determine 
how  many  men  will  be  found  as  workers 
9 


lO  Our  Big  Boys 

in  a  given  school.  There  is  no  more  ef- 
fective way  of  solving  the  "  man  prob- 
lem "  of  the  Sunday-school  than  by  con- 
sidering the  "  big  boy  problem." 

We  suggest  some  preliminary  ques- 
tions for  the  thoughtful  consideration  of 
pastors,  officers,  teachers,  and  parents 
interested  in  having  the  big  boy  in  the 
Sunday-school.  Suggestive  answers  to 
these  questions  are  given  ;  such  answers 
will  be  all  the  more  appreciated  if  the 
questions  are  prayerfully  and  thought- 
fully considered  beforehand. 

I.  When  does  a  boy  become  a  big 
boy  ?  There  is  much  difference  of  opin- 
ion on  this  subject  expressed  by  those 
who  have  not  made  a  careful  study  of 
the  boy.  Some  who  are  convinced  that 
a  boy  becomes  big  at  a  certain  time,  do 
not  put  their  convictions  in  this  regard 
into  practice  when  dealing  with  him  in 
the  practical  work  of  the  Sunday-school. 
This  difference  of  opinion  or  of  practice 


Preliminary  Questions  ii 

may  decide  whether  the  boy  is  a  member 
of  the  Sunday-school  or  not. 

2.  What  is  a  big  boy  ?  Is  he  the 
same  as  a  small  boy  ?  Is  he  a  man  ?  Is 
he  in  a  class  by  himself  ?  The  correct 
answers  to  these  questions  will  help  us  in 
the  endeavour  to  reach  some  conclusions 
as  to  how  he  should  be  treated.  The 
mistake  is  too  common  of  regarding  him 
as  being  the  same  as  a  small  boy.  Some, 
recognizing  this  mistake,  have  gone  to 
the  other  extreme  of  dealing  with  him  as 
with  a  man.  The  results  have  frequently 
proven  disastrous,  so  far  as  his  attend^ 
ance  at,  and  interest  in,  the  Sunday-, 
school  is  concerned. 

3.  What  are  the  characteristics  of  the 
big  boy  ?  If  he  is  unlike  the  small  boy 
and  the  man,  may  there  be  some  things 
predicated  of  him  which  put  him  in  a 
class  by  himself  ?  What  are  these  things  ? 
Which  of  them  have  a  pedagogical  value 
in   the   practical   work   of    the   Sunday- 


12  Our  Big  Boys 

school?  How  may  we  become  ac- 
quainted with  them?  How  may  we 
apply  our  knowledge  ?  The  right  or  the 
wrong  answer  to  these  questions  may 
determine  whether  we  have  our  big  boys 
interested  members  of  our  Sunday-schools 
or  whether  they  are  occupied  with  those 
things  which  keep  them  from  entering  its 
doors,  except  on  rare  occasions.  Surely 
the  boy's  temporal  and  eternal  welfare,  to 
say  nothing  about  the  progress  of  the  Sun- 
day-school, ought  to  make  one  desire  all 
possible  light  on  his  peculiarities  ! 

4.  Who  is  the  big  boy's  teacher? 
Will  any  one  do  for  his  teacher?  Is  a 
woman  as  suitable  as  a  man  ?  Is  an  old 
man  as  effective  as  a  young  one  ?  Within 
recent  years  these  questions  and  similar 
ones  have  been  very  seriously  discussed 
to  the  everlasting  advantage  of  the  boy. 
The  most  experienced  leaders  are  willing 
to  consider  them  further.  In  the  degree 
that  they  are  looked  upon  as  of  little  im- 


Preliminary  Questions  13 

portance,  the  boy  fails  to  get  the  instruc- 
tion best  suited  to  the  conditions  in  which 
he  finds  himself.  So  important  is  this 
matter  of  securing  the  proper  kind  of 
teachers  that  some  do  not  hesitate  to 
affirm :  The  big  boy  problem  will  be 
solved  when  the  right  sort  of  teachers  are 
trained  and  put  to  work  in  the  Sunday- 
school. 

5.  What  special  provisions  are  made 
for  the  big  boy  in  the  Sunday-school  ?  Is 
he  in  a  class  with  boys  of  about  his  own 
age  ?  Is  his  class  organized  ?  Has  it  a 
room  for  its  especial  use  ?  Does  it  meet 
during  the  week  ?  Is  some  one  planning 
to  harness  to  good  objects  the  unbounded 
enthusiasm  and  energy  of  its  members  ? 
From  the  school  concerning  which  nega- 
tive answers  must  be  given  to  these  ques- 
tions, the  big  boy  will  soon  be  permanently 
absent.  Where  the  affirmative  is  true, 
he  is  likely  to  remain  and  also  to  induce 
his  companions  to  enroll  in  the  class  in 


14  Our  Big  Boys 

which  he  is  so  intensely  interested. 
Surely  it  is  worth  while  to  make  especial 
plans  to  retain  him  in  the  school. 

6.  What  was  done  for  the  boy  before 
he  became  big  ?  Very  much  depends  on 
the  answer  to  this  question.  Hence,  the 
problem  before  us  has  its  factors  away 
back  in  the  Beginners'  Class  and  Primary 
Department,  but  more  especially  in  the 
Junior  Department.  What  was  done  for 
the  little  boys  there,  is  bearing  fruitage 
in  what  the  big  boys  are  now.  What  is 
being  done  to-day,  will  have  great  in- 
fluence in  determining  what  will  be  the 
condition  of  the  Sunday-school  in  days 
to  come. 

It  is  of  great  advantage  to  think  over 
these  questions  and  endeavour  to  obtain 
the  correct  answers  thereto.  Hence  they 
are  suggested  here.  But  this  is  not  all ; 
it  is  our  purpose  to  help  our  readers  so  to 
answer  them  that  they  will  not  only 
realize  the  kind  of  effort  that  should  be 


Preliminary  Questions  15 

put  forth  in  our  Sunday-school,  but  also 
be  guided  in  putting  it  forth  so  as  to  keep 
the  boys  in  the  Sunday-school  after  they 
have  entered  the  trying  period  of  adoles- 
cence. 

The  questions  discussed  are  of  impor- 
tance not  only  to  Sunday-school  workers 
but  also  to  pastors  ;  for  one  reason  why 
there  are  not  more  men  in  the  churches  is 
because  there  are  so  few  big  boys  in  the 
Sunday-schools. 

Said  a  thoughtful  elder  of  an  historic 
Presbyterian  church,  **  We  have  lost  a 
generation  of  men  from  our  church." 

*'  How  do  you  account  for  it  ?'' 

"  Years  ago  we  let  the  boys,  that  are 
now  men,  slip  out  of  our  Sunday-school." 


II 

WHEN  DO  BOYS  BECOME  BIG? 

THE  importance  of  the  answer  to 
this  question  cannot  be  over- 
estimated, for  upon  it  depends 
much  in  the  way  of  handling  our  boys, 
not  only  in  the  home  but  in  the  Sunday- 
school  and  the  church.  If  there  were 
some  fixed  rule  according  to  which  one 
could  determine  the  bigness  of  the  boy 
there  would  be  little  difficulty  in  the  mat- 
ter, but  neither  his  age,  his  size,  nor  his 
mental  development  tells  us  just  when 
he  becomes  big,  although  all  of  these 
factors  enter  into  the  problems  that  arise 
in  connection  with  his  bigness. 

The  boy  and  his  parents,  especially  his 
mother,  are  disposed  to  differ  much  in 
regard  to  his  bigness.     When   mamma 

calls  him,  "  My  boy,"  he  is  very  apt  to 
i6 


When  Do  Boys  Become  Big?     17 

resent  it,  and  when  she  addresses  him  as 
if  he  were  only  a  little  fellow,  he  is  very 
likely  to  get  away  from  her. 

The  writer  was  once  talking  with  a 
little  fellow  not  more  than  six  years  of 
age,  and  was  surprised  when  the  boy, 
referring  to  something  that  had  hap- 
pened, said,  "  When  I  was  a  little  boy." 
He  was  evidently  in  his  own  estimation 
becoming  big. 

The  boy  and  the  Sunday-school  au- 
thorities probably  disagree  as  to  the  boy's 
bigness.  This,  perhaps,  is  one  reason 
why  boys  slip  out  of  the  Sunday-school 
in  ways  that  are  unaccountable  to  the 
officers  of  the  school.  Feeling  that  they 
are  too  big  to  be  treated  as  if  they  were 
little,  they  no  longer  want  to  come  into 
the  school. 

One  fact  is  patent,  namely,  the  boy  is 
apt  to  become  big  far  sooner  than  his 
elders  think.  If  there  is  any  question 
concerning  this  statement  it  may  be  set- 


l8  Our  Big  Boys 

tied  by  the  adult  male  reader  thinking 
back  to  his  boyhood  days  and  recalling 
how  big  he  felt  at  say,  ten  or  twelve 
years  of  age.  If  he  recalls  correctly,  he 
will  doubtless  remember  that  he  was  far 
bigger  then  than  he  is  to-day  ;  that  is,  in 
his  own  estimation.  Another  fact  is  evi- 
dent, namely,  no  rule  can  be  laid  down 
as  to  the  time  when  the  boy  becomes  big, 
for  boys  differ  so  much  that  one  becomes 
big  much  sooner  than  another.  This 
truth,  of  course,  increases  the  difficulty 
of  handling  our  boys,  for  we  cannot  say 
all  boys  of  eleven  or  all  boys  of  twelve 
shall  be  treated  thus  and  so  for  they  have 
now  become  big. 

The  period  of  early  adolescence  begins 
with  the  average,  normal  boy  at  about 
twelve  years  of  age.  As  he  approaches 
the  development  incident  to  this  period 
he  is  very  likely  to  feel  his  own  impor- 
tance, and,  in  his  estimation,  to  become 
big.     Therefore,   we  may  say,   that  at 


When  Do  Boys  Become  Big?     19 

about  eleven  years  of  age  most  boys  be- 
gin to  feel  big,  and  this  feeling  continues 
with  increasing  power  over  the  possess- 
ors thereof,  until  they  reach  manhood. 
It  is  wise,  therefore,  to  have  a  department 
of  Sunday-school  work  into  which  boys 
shall  be  promoted  at  about  twelve  years 
of  age,  and  in  which  their  exhibitions  of 
bigness  shall  be  tolerated  and  overlooked 
unless  they  are  detrimental  to  the  welfare 
of  the  school. 

There  are  some  signs  of  the  boy's  big- 
ness, but  these  are  not  always  the  same. 
One  boy  may  manifest  it  in  increased  at- 
tention to  his  clothes,  while  many  other 
boys  are  utterly  regardless  of  their  per- 
sonal appearance  as  they  enter  the  period 
of  their  bigness.  Another  boy  may  be 
very  big  in  his  talk,  while  his  companion 
is  the  reverse,  hardly  uttering  a  word ; 
and  so  we  might  go  on  over  the  list. 

There  is  one  sign,  however,  that  is 
very  conclusive  as  to  the  bigness  of  the 


20  Our  Big  Boys 

boy,  and  that  is,  as  he  becomes  big,  he 
shows  more  and  more  a  disposition  to 
rebel  against  authority.  A  boy  of  a  cer- 
tain type  will  say  out  and  out,  when  told 
to  do  something  which  a  year  ago  he 
would  have  done  with  alacrity  and  pleas- 
ure, **  I  won't.'*  Another  boy  may  not 
say  a  word,  but  he  "won't"  anyhow. 
This  quiet  boy  is  perhaps  more  difficult 
to  deal  with  than  the  fellow  who  comes 
out  flat-footedly  and  declares  his  rebellion 
against  constituted  authority. 

It  is  of  great  importance  that  the  offi- 
cers of  the  school  should  be  on  the  alert 
to  detect  signs  of  bigness  in  their  boys, 
not  that  they  shall  allow  them  to  do  as 
they  please,  but  that  they  may  provide 
for  them  the  proper  kind  of  teachers. 
The  big  boy  should  have  a  male  teacher 
who  has  not  forgotten  his  boyhood  long- 
ings and  experiences. 

It  is  of  some  importance  that  the 
teacher    recognize    this    bigness    of  his 


When  Do  Boys  Become  Big?     21 

adolescent  pupils,  for,  if  he  does  not,  he 
will  be  frequently  surprised  and  often 
chagrined  at  the  manifestation  of  it  in 
unexpected  ways  and  at  times  when 
other  things  would  seem  to  be  more  fit- 
ting. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  best  suggestions 
that  can  be  given  in  regard  to  the  big- 
ness of  the  boys  is  for  the  officers  and 
teachers  of  the  Sunday-school  to  deter- 
mine that  they  will  study  their  boys  in- 
dividually, compare  notes,  and  come  to 
some  definite  conclusions  concerning  the 
time  of  the  development  of  the  idea  of 
bigness  in  their  boys*  minds,  and,  as  a 
result  of  this  conclusion,  plan  for  the  use 
of  proper  means  in  holding  the  big  boys 
in  the  school. 


Ill 

WHAT  IS  A  BIG  BOY? 

THE  foolishness  of  endeavouring 
to  answer  this  question  seriously 
would  be  granted,  were  there  not 
so  many  differences  of  opinion  as  to  what 
is  the  answer.  These  differences  are  not 
so  much  expressed  in  words  as  they  are 
manifested  in  actions.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  intelligent,  sensible  people  who 
would  smile  if  the  question  were  put  to 
them,  and  refuse  to  answer  it,  who,  never- 
theless, by  their  treatment  of  big  boys, 
answer  it  much  more  emphatically  than 
is  possible  in  words.  Hence  the  neces- 
sity for  asking  and  answering  it. 

There  are  some  adults  who  treat  the 
big  boy  as  if  he  were  a  small  boy ;  fathers, 
particularly,  err  in  this  respect.  They 
forget  that  the  growing  lad  is  no  longer 

22 


What  Is  a  Big  Boy?  23 

an  infant,  and  in  their  forgetfulness  en- 
deavour to  think,  speak,  and  act  for  him. 
This  endeavour  is  often  met  with  an  un- 
expressed, but  very  deep,  resentment  on 
the  part  of  the  youth  who  no  longer 
wishes  to  be  treated  like  his  baby  brother. 

Others  come  to  the  conclusion,  that,  not 
being  a  small  boy,  the  lad  must  be  a  man. 
The  injustice  of  this  conclusion  arises 
from  the  fact  that  such  persons  are  very 
likely  to  lay  upon  him  a  man's  responsi- 
bility without  according  him  a  man's 
privilege.  A  very  litde  serious  thought 
would  enable  one  to  imagine  the  effect 
produced  on  the  big  boy  by  such  a  course 
of  action. 

There  are  not  a  few  who  declare  that  the 
young  adolescent  is  neither  a  boy  nor  a 
man.  They  talk  of  him  as  if  his  body 
were  the  abode  of  the  evil  one  himself. 
The  writer  has  heard  more  than  one  fool- 
ish father  declare  concerning  his  son,  *'  I'll 
club  the  Devil  out  of  him  "  ;  and  he  has 


24  Our  Big  Boys 

been  informed  by  various  tearful  mothers, 
**  I  thinic  the  Devil  has  gotten  into  my 
boy."  He  has  had  the  satisfaction  of  be- 
ing able  to  inform  such  parents  that  noth- 
ing had  gotten  into  the  boy,  but  that  he 
had  gotten  into  something  ;  namely,  the 
most  trying  of  all  times,  the  period  of 
early  adolescence. 

Some  persons,  not  wishing  to  go  as  far 
as  the  foolish  parents  referred  to,  have 
characterized  specimens  of  the  big  boy 
species  as  "  colts,"  **  mules,"  **  hyenas," 
or  they  have  employed  other  equally 
complimentary  terms  in  describing  them. 
It  would  be  a  very  interesting  and  en- 
lightening study  that  would  reveal  what 
"the  colt"  or  "the  hyena"  is  thinking 
about  when  he  is  being  characterized 
thus. 

The  safest  and  sanest  ground  to  take  is 
that  the  big  boy  is  in  a  class  by  himself 
and  must  be  thought  of  and  treated  ac- 
cordingly.    At  about  twelve  years  of  age 


What  Is  a  Big  Boy'?  25 

he  becomes  an  entirely  different  creature 
from  what  he  was  before ;  not  that  he  is 
suddenly  transformed  into  this  creature, 
for  all  the  years  that  have  preceded  have 
been  leading  up  to  the  changes  which 
now  manifest  themselves.  At  about  six- 
teen years  of  age  another  period  of  de- 
velopment is  entered,  and  the  big  boy 
becomes  different  from  what  he  was  be- 
fore this  time.  In  other  words,  the  period 
of  early  adolescence  in  the  average,  nor- 
mal youth,  extends  from  about  the  age  of 
twelve  to  about  the  age  of  sixteen  ;  then 
modifications  take  place  according  to  cli- 
mate, race,  heredity,  and  environment. 
During  this  time,  forces  which  have  been 
gathering  power  for  years  manifest  them- 
selves ;  these  have  to  do  with  the  phys- 
ical, intellectual,  and  spiritual  make-up 
of  the  boy.  Concerning  the  physical 
changes,  much  has  been  said  and  under- 
stood. The  intellectual  evolution  of  the 
boy    is    now    quite    clearly   recognized. 


26  Our  Big  Boys 

Much  attention  is  being  directed  to  his 
spiritual  awakening,  and  its  meaning  for 
him  and  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

Of  one  thing  we  may  be  quite  certain  ; 
at  this  period  the  big  boy  is  having  the 
hardest  time  of  his  Hfe.  The  trouble  he 
makes  for  others  is  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  trouble  he  is  having  with  him- 
self. So  much  attention  is  generally  paid 
to  what  he  does,  that  but  little  time  has 
been  left  to  consider  why  he  does  it.  A 
brighter  day,  however,  is  opening  up  for 
him,  because  many  persons  are  asking, 
**  Why  is  he  thus?"  and,  "  Why  does  he 
do  so  ?  "  not  for  the  purpose  of  making 
his  life  harder  than  it  is,  but  in  order  to 
help  him  through  this  tempestuous  pe- 
riod. 

Added  to  the  fact  that  the  boy  is  in  a 
class  by  himself,  physically,  mentally,  and 
spiritually,  is  another  fact  that  increases 
the  difficulty  of  dealing  with  him.  He 
frequendy  considers  himself  a  misunder- 


What  Is  a  Big  Boy?  27 

stood  and  much  abused  individual,  and 
often  withdraws  from  the  influence  of 
those  who  might  help  him.  This  makes 
it  extremely  difficult  to  get  his  confidence 
in  order  to  do  him  good. 

Because  he  is  hedged  about  as  we  have 
indicated,  the  big  boy  needs  most  of  all 
to  be  understood  by  those  who  ought  to 
help  him ;  that  is  to  say,  by  his  parents, 
his  pastor,  his  teachers  in  both  day-school 
and  Sunday-school,  and  the  officers  of 
the  latter.  Without  manifesting  any  pity 
for  him,  these  various  persons  should 
sympathize  with  him,  while  they  should 
deal  with  him  firmly,  because  he  is  inca- 
pable of  judging  what  is  best  for  himself. 
Firmness  should  always  be  coupled  with 
the  resolution  to  endure  much  because  of 
what  the  big  boy  is,  and  should  always 
be  accompanied  by  the  determination  to 
lay  aside  personal  preferences  in  order 
to  do  the  very  best  for  him. 


IV 

SOME  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  BIG 
BOYS 

FROM  whatever  standpoint,  phys- 
ically, mentally,  or  spiritually,  we 
view  him,  the  big  boy  is  a  most 
interesting  subject  for  study.  His  char- 
acteristics are  many  and  varied.  They 
are  not  all  manifested  in  the  same 
individual  nor  in  the  same  way  by  those 
who  possess  them.  We  shall  be  able  to 
refer  but  to  a  few  of  the  most  marked  in 
them : 

I.  Rebellion  against  constituted  au- 
thority. The  forces  at  play  within  the 
big  boy  make  him  restless  under  the 
forms  of  restraint  which  his  elders  think 
necessary  for  the  conduct  of  human  so- 
ciety.    The  youth  does  not  understand 

why  these  restrictions  should  be,  and  is 

28 


Characteristics  29 

very  apt  to  show  his  disregard  for  them 
in  ways  that  are  not  at  all  pleasant  to  his 
elders.  While  he  should  not  be  allowed 
to  go  too  far  in  his  attempts  at  over- 
throwing what  is  for  the  good  of  the 
majority,  for  the  teacher  to  know  that 
this  rebellion  is  natural  to  him,  helps  in 
dealing  with  him.  Above  all,  the  one 
who  is  to  do  him  good  must  be  able  to 
show  him  that  the  very  restraints  which 
chafe  him  so  are  helping  to  make  a  man 
of  him.  He  must  be  inspired  with  the 
idea  that  he  who  would  lead  must  first 
learn  to  obey. 

2.  Dotibt.  The  growing,  matter-of- 
fact  boy  of  the  Junior  Department,  who 
accepts  everything  told  him  by  those 
whom  he  respects,  is  transformed  into 
quite  a  different  youth  when  he  enters 
the  adolescent  stage  of  development. 
He  questions  everything  and  very  likely 
doubts  those  things  which  are  most  dear 
to    Christian    people    because    of    their 


30  Our  Big  Boys 

sacred  associations.  Where  this  doubt 
is  expressed  it  can  be  met  and  dealt  with. 
Where  it  is  unexpressed  it  is  very  difficult 
to  do  much  for  the  doubter.  Many  of 
the  seeming  inconsistencies  of  the  young 
adolescent  become  at  least  explainable 
when  it  is  known  that  he  is  in  the  period 
of  doubt.  Arguing  will  never  help  him 
to  believe.  The  worst  of  all  things  is  to 
endeavour  to  crush  his  doubt.  What  he 
needs  most  of  all,  in  the  first  place,  is 
more  information,  for  he  knows  very 
little,  and  in  the  second  place,  an  un- 
swerving example  of  faith  on  the  part  of 
some  one  whom  he  can  imitate. 

3.  Day-dreams.  The  day-dreams  of 
the  big  boy,  as  a  rule,  concern  him- 
self, and  are  in  the  line  of  his  future 
greatness.  They  are  the  natural  out- 
growth of  the  bigness  which  he  attributes 
to  himself,  and  frequently  lead  him  to 
regard  with  pity,  if  not  with  contempt, 
those   of   his   elders  who   have   not  yet 


Characteristics  31 

attained  the  greatness  which  is  already 
his  own  in  imagination.  The  wise 
teacher  who  learns  what  is  in  the  boy's 
mind,  has  a  point  of  contact  which  he 
may  use  to  great  advantage  in  turning 
the  boy's  dreams  into  something  prac- 
tical. He  should  not  endeavour  to  laugh 
away  the  young  adolescent's  dreams,  but 
should  use  them  as  starting-points  from 
which  to  get  him  to  put  into  operation 
the  boundless  energy  within  him,  which 
is  often  spent  in  doing  evil  simply  for 
want  of  the  proper  direction. 

4.  Love.  The  big  boy  is  in  love. 
Not,  however,  with  those  things  which 
his  elders  love.  As  a  rule  he  is  infatuated 
with  some  hero,  real  or  imaginary.  For 
example,  the  writer  once  knew  a  boy  who 
was  so  much  in  love  with  Napoleon  that 
he  knew  of  little  else.  When  he  found 
one  who  would  talk  about  Napoleon, 
there  was  no  trouble  at  all  in  the  two 
getting  along  very  well  together.     As 


32  Our  Big  Boys 

the  big  boy  is  shy,  it  will  be  difficult  to 
get  him  to  acknowledge  what  it  is  on 
which  his  affections  are  centred,  but  he 
who  can  discover  it  and  prove  to  the  boy 
that  he  is  interested  in  it,  will  be  able  to 
do  much  in  molding  his  character.  If 
the  boy  loves  a  miserable  yellow  dog,  I 
may  reach  the  boy  by  way  of  a  manifested 
interest  in  that  dog,  provided  the  interest 
is  real. 

5.  Activity.  The  big  boy  cannot 
bear  to  be  where,  as  he  puts  it,  "  there's 
nothing  doing."  He  must  be  on  the  go 
all  the  time ;  that  is  one  reason  why  it  is 
so  difficult  for  him  to  sit  still  in  Sunday- 
school  and  listen  to  a  lecture.  If  the 
teacher  is  intellectually  active  enough  to 
keep  the  boy's  mind  on  the  jump,  his 
body  will  be  quiet.  If,  however,  he  is 
not  able  to  give  him  sufficient  material 
to  keep  his  mind  fully  employed,  very 
likely  the  boy  will  show  it  in  physical 
restlessness.     This  activity  may  be  made 


Characteristics  33 

use  of  in  many  ways,  by  giving  it  expres- 
sion along  channels  of  helpfulness  for 
church  and  Sunday-school  instead  of 
allowing  it  to  go  to  waste  in  other 
directions. 

6.  Self-consciousness,  The  young 
adolescent  is  morbidly  self-conscious. 
In  some  cases,  this  makes  him  retiring 
and  unwilling  to  engage  in  many  lines 
of  effort  which  will  place  him  in  the 
public  gaze.  In  other  youths,  self-con- 
sciousness makes  them  do  many  things, 
which,  to  the  uninitiated,  seem  to  indicate 
that  they  are  bad  at  heart.  Their  actions, 
however,  are  but  the  shell  which  they 
put  up  to  keep  those  who  do  not  under- 
stand them  from  getting  at  their  real 
selves.  Thrice  blessed  is  that  teacher 
who  can  get  his  boys  to  be  natural  in  his 
presence ! 

The  teacher  who  recognizes  the 
pedagogical  value  of  these  character- 
istics, will  not  only  study  his  pupils  to 


34  Our  Big  Boys 

find  manifestations  of  them,  but  will  also 
endeavour  to  learn  how  to  meet  them  as 
they  appear  in  the  various  members  of 
his  class,  with  the  variations  which  are 
sure  to  be  manifested.  It  is  our  purpose 
here  to  call  attention  to  them  in  order 
that  the  teacher  may  be  prepared  for 
them.  **  How  to  meet  them,"  is  a  ques- 
tion that  is  answered  in  the  following 
chapters.  Much  is  already  gained  by 
the  teacher,  who,  unobserved,  is  study- 
ing the  actions  of  his  boys  in  order  to 
learn  by  which  of  the  above-mentioned 
characteristics  they  are  prompted.  In 
this  study,  every  successful  leader  of 
young  adolescents  must  be  engaged 
continuously,  for,  while  there  are  certain 
well-defined  traits  which  belong  to  this 
period,  the  manifestations  of  them  vary ; 
hence  the  necessity  not  only  for  knowing 
"  big  boys,"  but  also  for  being  acquainted 
with  the  individuals  that  are  to  be 
benefited. 


V 

BEFORE  BOYS  BECOME  BIG 

IF  a  mother  had  positive  assurance 
that  at  about  a  certain  age  her  boy- 
would  have  a  serious  illness,  she 
would  do  everything  in  her  power  to 
prepare  him  for  the  critical  time.  Such 
assurance,  however,  cannot  be  given. 
There  is,  on  the  other  hand,  an  almost 
absolute  certainty  that  in  the  early  ado- 
lescent period  her  boy  will  pass  through 
a  moral  and  spiritual  crisis.  If  she,  and 
the  others,  who  have  to  deal  with  him 
before  this  time  were  half  as  anxious  con- 
cerning his  spiritual  welfare  as  they  are 
concerning  his  physical  development,  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  prepare  him  for 
the  time  of  trial.  Let  us  hope  that  the 
present  interest  in  the  study  of  the  big 
35 


36  Our  Big  Boys 

boy  will  lead  not  only  to  a  more  intelli- 
gent treatment  of  him  during  the  ado- 
lescent period,  but  also  to  a  more  earnest 
endeavour  to  prepare  him  for  the  storm 
and  stress  of  that  stage  of  development. 

There  is  absolutely  no  question  that 
the  home,  when  the  boy  is  an  infant,  is 
the  very  best  place  and  time  to  begin  to 
prepare  him  for  the  experiences  through 
which  he  is  likely  to  pass.  In  this  case, 
as  in  many  others,  "forewarned  is  fore- 
armed." Hence  the  plea  is  put  forth  that 
no  time  be  lost  after  the  birth  of  the  child 
in  beginning  the  work  of  putting  him  in 
the  very  best  spiritual  condition.  Noth- 
ing will  be  quite  so  helpful  to  this  end  as 
the  proper  spiritual  atmosphere  in  the 
home.  The  boy  who  breathes  such  an 
atmosphere  as  naturally  as  he  breathes 
the  air,  may  be  troublesome  when  he  be- 
comes big,  but  there  is  much  more  hope 
of  bringing  him  through  his  troubles  than 
if  the  endeavour  were  made  to  introduce 


Before  Boys  Become  Big        37 

him  to  spiritual  things  when  he  is  under 
the  pressure  of  adolescent  development. 

The  Sunday-school  should  also  be  so 
forewarned  that  its  leaders  will  begin  to 
work  for  the  boy's  spiritual  welfare  as 
soon  as  he  is  enrolled  in  its  membership. 
The  superintendent  of  the  Beginners' 
Class,  as  well  as  the  superintendent  of 
the  Primary  Department,  may  do  much 
in  leading  the  little  fellow  into  vital  touch 
with  Christ,  and  thus  be  preparing  him 
for  what  is  in  store  for  him  in  later  years. 

Above  all,  the  Junior  Department^  is 
preeminently  the  place  for  the  kind  of 
preparation  which  we  are  suggesting. 
The  old-fashioned  method  was  to  promote 
the  big  boy  at  about  ten  years  of  age 
into  the  main  [school,  where  he  was,  in  a 
measure,  lost  in  the  attention  paid  to 
those  much  older  than  he.  Thanks  to 
the  heed  that  is  being  given  to  the  study 

1  For  a  full  consideration  of  this  important  subject  see, 
"  After  the  Primary,  What  ?  " 


38  Our  Big  Boys 

of  the  individual,  there  are  now  being 
formed  all  over  the  land  Junior  Depart- 
ments, into  which  the  boy  is  introduced 
when  he  is  about  nine  years  old,  and 
from  which  he  is  promoted  at  about 
twelve,  or  just  at  the  time  when  his  ado- 
lescent traits  are  beginning  to  attract 
attention.  The  superintendent  of  the 
Junior  Department  generally  gives  such 
attention  to  the  study  of  her  pupils,  both 
as  they  now  are  and  as  they  soon  shall 
be,  that  she  knows  something  about 
the  adolescent  period,  and  possesses  the 
ability,  in  a  measure,  to  prepare  her  boys 
for  it. 

For  example,  the  trained  superintend- 
ent of  the  Junior  Department  now  knows 
that  the  "gang  instinct,"  which  is  so 
marked  in  big  boys,  begins  to  manifest 
itself  when  her  pupils  are  about  eleven 
years  of  age.  She  makes  use  of  this 
knowledge  by  forming  her  boys  into  an 
organization  under  proper  auspices  and 


Before  Boys  Become  Big         39 

thus  allows  them  to  give  vent,  under  the 
direction  of  a  competent  leader,  to  that 
desire  to  be  associated  with  others,  which 
otherwise  might  lead  them  to  form  an 
organization  elsewhere,  and  thus  be  kept 
away  from  the  Sunday-school. 

Again,  she  endeavours  to  bind  her  boys 
loyally  to  the  church  and  the  Sunday- 
school  by  giving  them  something  to  do 
in  connection  with  the  church,  which  will 
make  use  of  their  boundless  activity  in 
such  ways  that  they  will  have  their  Sun- 
day-school and  their  church  constantly  in 
mind.  This,  of  course,  means  time  and 
labour  expended  by  the  leader,  but  it  is 
an  expenditure  which  is  more  than  worth 
the  while. 

There  is  much  discussion  as  to  the 
proper  time  for  a  boy  to  confess  Christ. 
Statistics  show  that  the  greatest  number 
of  decisive  religious  awakenings  occur  at 
about  the  end  of  the  early  adolescent 
period.     While   these  statistics  are   un- 


40  Our  Big  Boys 

doubtedly  true,  there  is  a  fact  that  has 
been  largely  overlooked,  namely,  very 
many  of  those  who  confess  Christ  at  this 
time  were  brought  to  Him  at  a  much 
earlier  period,  but  their  religious  life  came 
to  a  standstill  during  the  tempestuous  de- 
velopment of  early  adolescence  and  their 
early  religious  experience  seemed  to  be  a 
delusion.  Knowing  these  facts,  the  su- 
perintendent of  the  Junior  Department 
ought  to  endeavour  to  get  her  pupils 
who  have  already  been  brought  to  Christ 
in  the  Primary  Department,  to  confess 
Him  publicly  while  in  the  Junior  De- 
partment. Then  it  should  be  the  duty  of 
the  church  to  safeguard  these  young 
Christians  through  the  troublous  time  of 
early  adolescence.  Where  this  is  done, 
there  will  be  a  decisive  awakening  at  the 
end  of  this  period,  but  it  will  be,  in  most 
cases,  simply  a  coming  back  in  a  more 
intelligent  and  determined  way  to  those 
things   from  which  the  big  boy  turned 


Before  Boys  Become  Big        41 

aside  for  a  while.  In  other  words,  it  is 
much  better  to  endeavour  to  bring  the 
child  to  Christ  and  have  him  confess 
Him  as  Saviour,  than  to  run  the  risk  of 
allowing  him  to  approach  the  adolescent 
period  without  having  had  any  vital  re- 
ligious experience  ;  as  he  leaves  the  early 
adolescent  period  he  will  be  all  the  more 
likely  to  have  a  decisive  religious  re- 
awakening for  having  done  so. 


VI 

ESPECIAL  PROVISION  FOR  BIG  BOYS 

OUR  studies  so  far  in  tiie  big  boy 
problem  ought  to  have  led  us  to 
some  conclusions.  These  con- 
clusions, however,  are  of  questionable 
value  unless  they  lead  to  definite  action 
that  will  accrue  to  the  benefit  of  those 
whom  we  have  been  considering.  As  a 
result  of  our  studies  we  may  conclude, 
among  other  things,  the  following : 

I.  The  big  boy  should  be  in  a  class 
with  boys  of  his  own  age  ;  he  should  not 
be  put  in  with  small  boys  nor  should  he 
be  with  men„  He  looks  with  a  good  deal 
of  contempt  upon  those  who  are  younger 
than  himself,  and  he  is  not  ready  yet  for 
that  kind  of  teaching  which  is  due  to  men. 

The  feelings  of  the  teacher  in  this  regard 

42 


Especial  Provision  43 

should  have  no  consideration.  A  lady 
may  be  attached  to  two  big  boys  in  her 
class,  and  for  the  sake  of  having  a  class 
of  average  size  may  have  admitted  several 
small  boys  into  her  class.  She  should, 
however,  for  the  two  boys'  sake,  have 
them  transferred  into  a  class  where  they 
shall  be  with  boys  of  about  their  own  age 
and  be  handled  by  a  teacher  such  as  is 
described  in  the  next  chapter. 

2.  The  big  boy  should  be  in  an  organ- 
ized class.  The  "  gang  instinct "  begins 
to  manifest  itself  before  the  period  of  early 
adolescence,  and  should  be  recognized  in 
the  Junior  Department  of  the  Sunday- 
school  ;  at  the  age  which  we  are  consider- 
ing it  is  very  strong,  and  should  be  taken 
advantage  of  in  helping  to  hold  the  big 
boy  to  the  Sunday-school.  One  method 
of  doing  this  is  to  organize  his  class,  al- 
lowing him  all  possible  freedom  of  choice 
as  to  ofBcers,  committees,  forms  of  work, 
etc.,  while  at  the  same  time  the  leader  of 


44  Our  Big  Boys 

the  class  exercises  that  sort  of  supervision 
which  keeps  the  big  boy  from  doing  fool- 
ish things,  as  he  will  do  most  likely,  if 
left  to  himself. 

3.  The  big  boy  should  have  a  room 
where  his  class  can  meet  by  itself.  The 
writer  is  well  aware  of  the  difficulties 
connected  with  carrying  out  this  sugges- 
tion. As  a  rule,  our  Sunday-schools  are 
not  built  so  that  many  classes  can  have 
rooms  to  themselves,  and  even  where 
such  rooms  are  available,  in  most  cases 
they  are  given  to  the  old  folks  of  the  con- 
gregation. Every  intelligent  student  of 
the  big  boy  problem  should  be  so  con- 
vinced of  the  need  of  class  rooms  for  the 
boys  that  he  will  advocate  them,  and  thus 
hasten  the  time  when  the  architectural 
arrangements  in  every  Sunday-school 
will  help  in  holding  the  big  boy  to  the 
school  and,  consequently,  to  the  church. 

4.  The  big  boy  should  have  a  place  in 
connection  with  the  church,  where  he  can 


Especial  Provision  45 

meet  the  members  of  his  class  on  one  or 
two  evenings  of  the  week.  Of  course,  we 
would  like  to  have  our  big  boy  at  the 
prayer-meeting,  but  he  does  not  care  any- 
thing for  such  a  gathering.  If,  however, 
we  keep  him  from  saying  good-bye  to  the 
church,  there  comes  a  time  when  he  will 
be  ready  and  glad  to  attend  the  prayer 
service.  How  foolish  was  that  church 
session  which  voted  that  th^  big  boys  of 
the  church  might  no  longer  have  the  use 
of  the  church  parlour  every  Thursday 
evening,  for  the  reason  that  they  were 
wearing  out  the  carpet !  It  would  seem 
harsh  to  say  that  those  elders  considered 
a  carpet  of  more  value  than  men,  but  such 
is  the  fact. 

5.  The  big  boy  should  have  work 
planned  for  him  in  connection  with  the 
church  and  Sunday-school.  His  activity 
is  boundless ;  he  will  be  doing  something. 
When  he  is  organized  in  a  class  with 
others  under  proper  leadership,  he  will  be 


46  Our  Big  Boys 

very  glad  to  follow  his  leader  in  lines  of 
activity  that  will  tell  for  the  advancement 
of  the  church  with  which  he  is  connected. 

There  are  some  who  fancy  that  this  is  a 
very  high  price  to  pay  for  the  privilege  of 
keeping  boys  in  the  Sunday-school. 
Such  persons  should  consider  how  val- 
uable would  be  the  services  of  a  group  of 
Christian  men  in  their  church  in  addition 
to  those  whom  they  have  now,  and  upon 
whom  fall  the  exacting  burdens  of  church 
work.  The  way  to  get  such  men  is  to 
keep  the  boys  loyal  to,  and  interested  in, 
their  Sunday-school. 

In  the  whole  realm  of  Christian  work 
there  is  nothing  of  more  importance  than 
the  endeavour  to  make  special  provision 
for  the  big  boys  in  the  Sunday-school. 
Incalculable  benefits  will  accrue  to  any 
church  if  its  officers  will  engage  in  a 
serious  and  prayerful  study  of  the  big 
boy  problem,  for  the  purpose  of  rightly 
handling  the  adolescents  between  the  ages 


Especial  Provision  47 

of  twelve   and   sixteen.      Such   a  study- 
ought  to  result  in  securing  for  these  boys, 

1.  Suitable  Teachers.  So  much  de- 
pends upon  the  teacher  that  the  question 
of  what  kind  of  an  instructor  the  boy 
should  have  cannot  be  too  frequently,  nor 
too  seriously,  considered. 

2.  Proper  Architecture.  It  is  under- 
stood, of  course,  that  the  principal  reason 
why  the  boys  cannot  have  rooms  for 
themselves  is  because  of  the  old-fashioned 
method  of  constructing  church  buildings. 
As  the  officers  of  the  church  will  have 
much  to  say  concerning  the  future  build- 
ing to  be  erected,  it  is  only  fitting  that 
they  should  be  fully  informed  as  to  what 
is  needed  for  class  rooms. 

3.  Helpful  Treatment.  The  present- 
day  expert  convention-speaker  has  much 
to  say  concerning  the  necessity  of  the 
church  taking  the  young  adolescent 
through  his  trying  experiences,  but,  even 
as  he  says  it,  he  realizes  that  his  talk  is 


48  Our  Big  Boys 

mostly  in  vain,  for  the  reason  that  very 
few  people  in  the  church  care  anything 
about  the  young  adolescent,  and  fewer 
still,  perhaps,  know  how  to  help  him. 

A  brighter  time  is  dawning  for  the  big 
boy.  Men  and  women  everywhere  are 
studying  him  and  are  endeavouring  to 
make  the  results  of  that  study  practical  in 
the  provision  made  for  him  in  the  Sunday- 
school.  Shall  we  not  rejoice  in  the  ad- 
vent of  this  better  day  and  help  it  along  ? 


VII 

THEIR  TEACHER 

TOO  much  thought  and  attention 
cannot  be  given  to  the  selection 
of  the  proper  teacher  for  the  big 
boy.  Heretofore,  in  many  schools,  the 
question  of  availability  has  been  about 
the  only  one  considered.  Here  is  a  mag- 
nificent middle-aged  lady  with  a  class  of 
big  boys  who  are  about  breaking  her 
heart,  but  whom  she  thinks  she  must 
keep  because  there  is  no  one  else  in  the 
school  available  for  the  work.  Over 
there  is  a  beautiful  young  lady,  who  has 
been  coaxed  into  taking  a  class  of  young 
adolescents  simply  because  a  man  teacher 
could  not  be  found  willing  to  devote  time 
and  energy  to  the  instruction  of  the  boys. 
While  both  these  teachers  are  doing  very 
49 


50  Our  Big  Boys 

well,  neither  of  them  is  doing  justice  to 
the  boys ;  for  only  a  man,  who  has  been 
through  their  experiences,  can  fully  ap- 
preciate the  things  necessary  to  be  known 
by  the  one  who  endeavours  to  give  moral 
and  spiritual  instruction  to  the  big  boys. 

While  there  are  exceptions,  this  is  the 
rule :  A  young  man  of  character  and 
force  should  be  selected  as  the  teacher  of 
boys  between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  six- 
teen. The  fact  that  there  are  so  few  men 
of  the  proper  calibre,  who  are  willing  to 
consecrate  themselves  to  this  service,  is 
no  argument  against  the  correctness  of 
the  principle. 

Whatever  the  age  or  sex  of  the  teacher, 
if  the  boys  are  to  get  the  very  best,  the 
teacher  must  possess,  among  other  things, 
the  following  qualities : 

I.  He  must  be  a  student  of  the  boy. 
The  study  expended  upon  the  boy  must 
first  be  for  the  purpose  of  learning  wherein 
he  is  like  other  boys  of  his  age;  and 


Their  Teacher  51 

second,  to  note  the  differences  between 
him  and  other  boys.  To  the  study  of 
the  boy,  there  should  be  added  the  study 
of  results  of  investigations  made  by  oth- 
ers, as  to  the  best  way  to  handle  the  boy 
during  the  critical  period  through  which 
he  is  passing. 

2.  He  must  be  a  sympathizer  with  the 
boy.  The  results  of  the  study  advocated 
should  be  manifested  by  the  teacher  in  a 
kind  of  sympathy  which  is  unobtrusive, 
but  none  the  less  real.  Pity,  the  boy 
despises ;  manifestations  of  affection,  he 
will  have  none  of;  but  to  the  one  who 
can  enter  into  real  sympathy  with  his 
longings,  he  will  yield  a  boundless  loyalty. 

3.  He  must  be  a  companion  of  the 
boy.  This,  perhaps,  is  one  of  the  princi- 
pal reasons  why  the  teacher  should  be  a 
young  man.  It  is  very  difficult  for  a 
lady  to  be  a  real  companion  to  the  boy 
in  his  early  adolescent  period,  and  it  is 
almost  impossible  for  an  old  man  to  get 


52  Our  Big  Boys 

away  from  himself  so  as  to  be  compan- 
ionable to  one  living  in  a  world  alto- 
gether unlike  his  own.  Even  a  young 
man  must  continually  pull  himself  to- 
gether with  a  recollection  of  what  the  big 
boy  is  in  order  to  be  his  companion,  but 
the  efforts  required  will  be  amply  repaid 
by  the  influence  he  will  exercise  over  him 
whom  he  is  endeavouring  to  benefit. 

4.  He  must  be  a  confidant  of  the  boy. 
Perhaps  the  hardest  thing  in  dealing  with 
the  young  adolescent  is  that  of  gaining 
his  confidence,  for  he  is  not  only  shy,  but 
he  believes  that  he  is  misunderstood,  and 
that  there  is  no  one  who  really  cares  for 
him.  When  his  teacher  has  become  his 
companion,  the  way  is  opened  for  the 
boy  to  give  him  his  confidence.  When 
this  is  once  done,  and  the  teacher  proves 
his  loyalty  to  the  boy,  the  latter  will  more 
and  more  confide  in  him.  The  wise 
teacher  will  make  use  of  this  confidence 
to  help  the  boy,  and  will  sooner  bite  his 


Their  Teacher  53 

tongue  of!  than  disclose  what  has  been 
told  him  in  confidence. 

5.  He  must  be  an  example  for  the 
boy.  The  young  adolescent  may  not 
heed  his  teacher's  words,  but  he  is  watch- 
ing him  with  keen  eyes,  and  has  confi- 
dence in  him,  or  the  reverse,  according 
as  his  life  squares  with  his  teaching. 
Consequently,  while  the  teacher  should 
be  careful  of  his  words,  he  should  be 
more  careful  of  his  actions,  for  he  will 
find  that  the  latter  are  producing  the 
deepest  effects  upon  his  pupil. 

Above  all,  the  teacher  of  the  big  boy 
should  be  spiritual,  for  all  that  he  is  at- 
tempting has  a  spiritual  end  in  view. 
Next  to  his  spirituality  should  be  placed 
the  necessity  for  absolute  honesty  ;  what- 
ever the  adolescent  may  claim  the  privi- 
lege of  saying  and  doing  himself,  he  de- 
mands that  his  teacher  shall  be  absolutely 
fair  and  square. 

No  one  should  feel,  as  the  result  of 


54  Our  Big  Boys 

what  we  have  said,  that  he  must  resign 
his  class  in  the  Sunday-school.  Where 
classes  are  already  formed,  let  them  go 
on  as  they  are ;  but  when  new  classes  are 
promoted  from  the  Junior  Department, 
the  endeavour  should  be  to  secure  for  the 
boys  a  teacher  somewhat  after  the  order 
just  described. 

Moreover,  let  no  one  imagine  that  only 
an  expert  can  successfully  handle  the  big 
boy.  Indeed,  it  has  sometimes  been 
found  that  so-called  experts  have  proven 
to  be  lamentable  failures  in  handling 
those  about  whom  they  have  the  finest 
theories.  It  is  the  heart  that  counts 
most.  If  a  young  man  has  a  genuine 
love  for  Christ,  and  is  willing  to  prove 
that  love  by  working  for  the  boy  for  the 
Master's  sake,  it  will  not  be  difficult  for 
him  to  become  a  student  of  the  boy  in 
order  to  sympathize  with  him  genuinely 
and  to  help  him  over  his  hard  places. 
The  boy  will  soon  come  to  understand 


Their  Teacher  ^^ 

what  is  the  motive  power  that  keeps  the 
teacher  at  his  work,  and  will  respect  him 
accordingly.  Hence,  the  oft-repeated 
prayer  of  him  who  is  to  deal  successfully 
with  the  young  adolescent  should  be  : 

"  More  love  to  Thee,  O  Christ, 

More  love  to  Thee  ! 
Hear  Thou  the  prayer  I  make 

On  bended  knee ; 
This  is  my  earnest  plea — 
More  love,  O  Christ,  to  Thee, 

More  love  to  Thee  1 " 


VIII 

THEIR  INTIMATES 

IT  is  more  than  likely  that  the  big 
boy's  most  intimate  friend  is  not  his 
father.  This  statement  is  as  sad  as 
it  is  true.  Perhaps  the  reason  why  the 
big  boy  is  not  intimate  with  his  father  is 
because  the  latter  has  forgotten  that  he 
was  once  his  son's  age,  and  lacks  in 
sympathy  with  him.  Very  likely,  he 
misunderstands  his  boy,  and  the  boy 
misunderstands  him ;  so  there  is  a 
separation  between  them,  which  widens 
as  the  years  go  on,  and  causes  the  youth 
to  make  others,  rather  than  his  father, 
his  intimate,  confidential  friends. 

In  all  probability  the  boy's  mother  is 
not    his    most  intimate   friend,   for  her 
mother  heart  rebels  against  the  thought 
56 


Their  Intimates  57 

of  his  becoming  big.  To  her,  he  is  her 
baby,  and  she  treats  him  as  such,  to  his 
secret  disgust,  if  not  to  his  open  opposi- 
tion. Nothing  hurts  the  big  boy  quite 
so  much  as  to  be  treated  as  if  he  were  a 
litde  child. 

In  many  cases,  the  boy's  Sunday- 
school  teacher  is  not  very  intimate  with 
him.  The  latter,  at  times,  regards  the 
former  more  as  an  evil  to  be  endured, 
than  as  a  friend  to  be  confided  in.  Of 
course,  the  big  boy  has  given  his  teacher 
various  causes  for  forming  such  an 
opinion  of  him.  At  the  same  time,  the 
teacher  may  have  been  demanding  too 
much  from  the  boy,  in  the  way  of  con- 
sideration, and  he  may  have  been  un- 
willing to  give  the  boy  all  that  is  due 
him.  The  man,  being  older  than  the 
boy,  ought  to  be  able  and  willing  to 
make  more  allowance  for  him,  than  the 
boy  can  make,  by  any  possibility,  for  his 
teacher. 


58  Our  Big  Boys 

It  is  the  case,  sometimes,  that  the 
maturer  Christians  of  the  church  are  not 
very  intimate  with  the  big  boys,  for  these 
mature  men  and  women  are  thinking  and 
living  on  quite  different  levels  from  those 
of  the  boy.  Instead  of  making  it  their 
business  to  get  down  to  the  boy,  in 
order  to  help  him,  most  adults  expect 
the  boy  to  measure  up  to  their  standards 
of  Christian  thought  and  action,  even  if 
they  themselves  do  not  adhere  strictly  to 
them.  This,  of  course,  is  an  impossibility 
on  the  boy's  part,  and  results  in  his  un- 
willingness to  confide  in  those  who  might 
help  him  most. 

Occasionally,  there  is  found  a  pastor,  a 
teacher,  or  a  church  officer,  who,  having 
made  a  study  of  the  big  boy,  understands 
him,  sympathizes  with  him,  and  is  really 
in  a  position  to  help  him.  It  is  too  bad 
that  such  persons  are  the  exception, 
rather  than  the  rule. 

But  who  are  the  intimate  friends  of  our 


Their  Intimates  59 

big  boy  ?  They  are  generally  fellows  of 
about  his  own  age.  The  ''  gang  instinct," 
which  began  to  manifest  itself  just  before 
he  entered  the  adolescent  period,  is  now 
quite  strong,  and  the  big  boy  naturally 
seeks  his  friends  among  those  of  about 
his  own  age.  It  is  not  unusual  to  find 
big  boys  making  confidants  of  one 
another,  and,  frequently,  leading  one 
another  on  into  evil  practices.  What  the 
individual  would  never  think  of  attempt- 
ing alone,  the  gang  attempts  with  reck- 
less bravado — to  the  sorrow,  often,  of 
those  who  know  the  consequences  of 
their  actions.  Hence,  in  dealing  with  a 
big  boy,  one  of  the  first  endeavours  should 
be  to  ascertain  who  are  his  intimates,  and 
along  what  lines  they  are  acting.  This 
will  often  result,  on  the  one  hand,  in  learn- 
ing what  are  the  dominant  traits  of  the 
big  boy's  character,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  putting  into  operation  those 
plans  which  will  help  him  to  higher  things. 


6o  Our  Big  Boys 

Not  infrequently,  an  older  person,  for 
evil  purposes,  cultivates  the  friendship  of 
the  big  boy,  and,  pretending  to  sympa- 
thize with  and  help  him,  leads  him  on  to 
the  abyss  of  moral  degradation.  A  sa- 
loon-keeper, in  a  crowded  section  of  one 
of  our  great  cities,  furnished  the  cellar 
under  his  saloon  as  a  rendezvous  for  a 
crowd  of  big  boys.  He  deliberately  set 
himself  to  attach  them  to  his  saloon,  in 
order  that  he  might  have  their  custom,  in 
future  years,  when  they  would  become 
addicted  to  the  drink  habit.  Instances 
similar  to  this  might  be  adduced,  where, 
for  the  sake  of  gain,  or,  sometimes,  some- 
thing worse,  evil-minded  men  and  women 
have  set  themselves  to  capture  big  boys, 
by  pretending  to  be  their  friends. 

To  offset  this,  the  teacher  who  suc- 
ceeds best  in  helping  a  big  boy  must  be- 
come genuinely  interested  in  him.  He 
must  endeavour,  by  every  possible  means, 
to  come  down  to  the  boy's  level  of  every- 


Their  Intimates  6i 

day  life.  He  must  endure  some  things, 
which  are  in  themselves  disagreeable  to 
his  maturer  taste,  for  only  by  doing  so 
can  he  prove  himself  a  friend  to  the  boy, 
and  thus  gain  his  confidence.  Of  course, 
this  means  time  devoted  to  the  study  of 
the  big  boy,  and  personal  intercourse 
with  him,  as  well  as  prayer  for  him  ;  the 
rewards  coming  from  this  expenditure  of 
effort  will  compensate  for  it  abundantly. 

It  would  be  a  great  advance  towards 
the  solution  of  the  big  boy  problem  if,  in 
every  Sunday-school,  there  could  be  a 
consecrated  young  man  who  would  be 
the  medium  of  communication  between 
the  boys  and  the  officers  of  the  church 
and  Sunday-school.  Such  men  as  are 
now  devoting  themselves  to  the  boys' 
work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation would  render  invaluable  help  in 
the  Sunday-school.  The  one  who  gives 
himself  to  this  type  of  effort,  to  the  exclu- 
sion of    all   other  work,  will  find   it  to 


62  Our  Big  Boys 

be  well  worth  the  very  best  that  is  in 
him. 

Since  such  a  man  is  not  available  in 
every  congregation,  the  next  best  thing  is 
for  the  pastor,  officers,  and  teachers  to  be- 
come as  fully  informed  as  possible  con- 
cerning the  intimate  friends  of  the  big 
boys  of  the  Sunday-school.  Thus  they 
may  plan  wisely  to  meet  any  perils  grow- 
ing out  of  such  friendship,  and  also  gain 
the  confidence  of  the  boys  in  order  to  be- 
come real  friends  to  them.  How  shall 
this  information  be  gained  ?  This  is  a 
persistent  question.  There  is  only  one 
possible  way,  namely,  by  personal  con- 
tact with  the  boys  outside  the  Sunday- 
school.  Those  who  come  into  touch 
with  the  boys,  in  various  ways,  and  at 
different  times,  must  meet  and  compare 
notes,  in  order  to  arrive  at  intelligent 
conclusions  as  to  what  is  best  to  be  done. 
All  planning  in  behalf  of  the  big  boys 
should  be  based  on  these  conclusions. 


IX 

THEIR  ACTIVITY 

THERE  is  no  doubt  that  the 
young  adolescent  will  be  doing 
something,  unless  he  is  ill,  or 
too  tired  to  be  on  the  go.  This  activity, 
unlike  the  restlessness  of  the  little  child, 
or  even  the  activity  of  the  boy  of  the 
junior  age,  has  behind  it  a  purpose. 
The  lad  is  not  only  intensely  interested 
in  what  he  is  doing  but,  according  to  his 
mind,  he  is  working  with  a  great  object 
in  view.  To  be  sure,  his  purpose  may 
not  appeal  very  strongly  to  the  adult,  but 
to  him  it  overshadows  everything  else. 
In  the  winter  he  may  be  manufacturing  a 
bob-sled,  which  is  to  excel  everything  in 
the  neighbourhood ;  in  the  summer  he  may 
seem  to  be  tearing  himself  to  pieces  prac- 
ticing for,  and  taking  part  in,  the  base- 
63 


64  Our  Big  Boys 

ball  contests  of  the  neighbourhood.  He 
is  determined  that  his  team  shall  come 
out  ahead  in  the  season's  games. 

Educators  have  not  been  slow  to  rec- 
ognize the  value  of  this  activity  as  dis- 
played by  the  adolescent.  It  has  been 
declared  that  the  whole  pedagogy  of 
adolescence  may  be  summed  up  in  this 
principle:  Inspire  enthusiastic  activity. 
The  inspiration  intended  here  is  in  the 
direction  of  the  studies  which  the  in- 
structor wishes  the  pupil  to  follow. 
Herein  lies  the  difficulty  of  Sunday- 
school  work.  During  the  age  of  de- 
velopment under  consideration,  the  boy 
is  not  particularly  interested  in  those 
things  which  pertain  to  the  spiritual  side 
of  Sunday-school  instruction.  Hence,  to 
interest  him  in  what  is  spiritual,  an  ap- 
peal must  be  made  to  him  along  the  line 
of  those  things  in  which  he  delights.  At 
the  same  time,  the  balance  must  be  main- 
tained, or  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school 


Their  Activity  65 

will  be  turned  from  its  proper  function, 
which  is  the  instruction  of  the  youth  for 
the  purpose  of  spiritual  development. 

Just  here  comes  in  one  of  the  strongest 
arguments  for  giving  the  big  boy  a  male 
teacher,  who  is  young  enough  to  under- 
stand him  and  sympathize  with  him.  A 
wise,  manly  instructor  manifesting  real 
interest  in  those  things  which  are  of 
greatest  moment  to  the  boy,  may  be  able 
to  win  him  to  an  interest  in  the  things  of 
highest  import. 

The  very  first  step,  in  solving  the  diffi- 
culties connected  with  the  activity  of  the 
big  boys  in  a  Sunday-school  class,  is  for 
the  teacher  to  learn  what  the  things  are 
in  which  they  are  most  intensely  in- 
terested. He  can  do  this  only  by  gain- 
ing the  confidence  of  those  whom  he  in- 
structs, and  by  mingling  with  them 
informally  at  times  and  in  places  other 
than  the  hour  devoted  to  religious  in- 
struction   in    the   Sunday-school  on  the 


66  Our  Big  Boys 

Lord's  Day.  This  plea  we  have  been 
making  in  many  forms  throughout  this 
manual ;  it  cannot  be  repeated  too  fre- 
quently, nor  emphasized  too  strongly. 
The  next  step  for  the  teacher  to  con- 
sider is:  How  may  the  boys'  activities 
be  made  use  of  in  connection  with  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school  ?  The  writer 
is  acquainted  with  a  class  of  boys  who 
have  much  musical  and  literary  ability. 
They  have  been  organized  so  that  vent 
is  given  to  their  activities  along  musical 
and  literary  lines  in  the  entertainments 
given  for  various  objects  in  connection 
with  the  Sunday-school.  They  meet 
during  the  week,  discuss  their  plans, 
practice  their  parts,  and  prepare  for 
what,  to  them,  is  the  real  work  of  life. 
Their  teacher's  manifest  interest  in  them 
serves  as  a  bond  of  union  between  him 
and  them,  with  the  results  that  they  are 
regular  in  attendance  on  the  sessions  of 
the    Sunday-school,   several    have  been 


Their  Activity  67 

brought  to  Christ,  and  have  joined  the 
church,  while  others  are  approachable  on 
spiritual  subjects. 

The  next  step  is  for  the  teacher  to 
make  a  careful  study  of  each  lesson  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  how  it  applies  to 
the  activities  of  the  members  of  his  class. 
Big  boys,  as  a  rule,  are  indifferent  to  the 
Bible,  because  they  do  not  realize  that  it 
has  any  especial  bearing  upon  the  things 
in  which  they  are  interested.  When, 
however,  the  boy  is  convinced  that  the 
Bible  has  something  to  say  to  him  as  a 
baseball  enthusiast  or  amateur  musician, 
as  the  case  may  be,  he  will  listen  to  the 
truths  brought  to  his  attention  from  its 
pages. 

While  the  wise  teacher  is  thus  study- 
ing the  activities  of  his  pupils,  and  mak- 
ing use  of  them  for  the  present,  he  is  also 
looking  ahead  to  the  future,  for  he  real- 
izes that  these  very  activities  which  now 
seem  of  such  little  moment  are  the  hope 


68  Our  Big  Boys 

of  the  church  of  the  future.  These  active 
boys  will  become  the  working  men  of  the 
church  if  held  to  it  and  trained  properly. 
Hence,  while  seemingly  yielding  to  the 
wishes  of  the  boy,  the  teacher,  who  has 
in  mind  the  work  of  the  kingdom,  will  be 
gradually  turning  him  from  the  lower  to 
the  higher  activities  and  by  degrees  train- 
ing him  as  a  labourer  who,  in  days  to 
come,  will  help  bear  the  burdens  of 
church  work. 

If  proof  were  needed  of  the  value  of 
making  use  of  the  activities  of  the  big 
boys  of  the  Sunday-school,  it  could  be 
found  in  the  conditions  that  prevail  in  the 
average  church,  in  almost  any  commu- 
nity. One  has  only  to  answer  carefully 
this  question :  Who  are  the  active  male 
workers  in  the  church  to-day?  A  very 
large  majority  of  them  are  men  who  were 
instructed  in  the  Sunday-school  and 
trained  for  service  when  they  were  com- 
paratively young.     The  number  of  men 


Their  Activity  69 

who  are  drawn  to  the  church  and  develop 
into  workers  are  very  few.  Is  there  not 
in  this  thought  a  great  inspiration  for  the 
Sunday-school  teacher,  who  may  be  dis- 
couraged because  of  the  seeming  indif- 
ference of  his  big  boys  to  the  real  work 
of  the  kingdom,  while  they  are  so  ac- 
tively engaged  in  those  things  which 
may  be  considered  trivial  ? 


X 

THEIR  INTERESTS 

THERE  is  no  question  concerning 
the  physical  activity  of  the  big 
boy  ;  if  he  is  not  on  the  go  it  is 
because  he  is  tired,  or  hungry,  or  under 
unwelcome  restraint.  Some  have  ques- 
tioned his  mental  activity.  Perhaps  one 
reason  for  this  is  that  he  has  been  un- 
willing to  follow  the  wishes  of  others  in 
regard  to  the  things  on  which  he  will  fix 
his  mind.  There  is  absolutely  no  doubt 
that  the  big  boy  is  intensely  interested  in 
many  things,  and  that  along  the  line  of 
his  interests  he  displays  a  remarkable 
activity. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  here  to  discuss 
whether  the  big  boy  is  interested  in 
those  things  which  are  the  best.     As  we 

are  studying  the  problem,  it  is  necessary 
70 


Their  Interests  71 

for  us  to  know  its  factors.  One  set  of 
these  factors  includes  the  big  boy's  in- 
terests. To  ignore  them  is  to  put  our- 
selves beyond  the  possibiHty  of  solving 
the  problem  for  the  one,  whether  he  be 
father,  pastor,  or  teacher,  who  wishes  to 
help  the  big  boy.  For  him  who  wishes 
to  be  helpful,  the  following  suggestions 
are  made : 

(i)  Become  acquainted  with  the  big 
boy's  interests.  In  order  to  do  this  the 
big  boy  himself  must  be  studied,  and 
time  must  be  expended  in  becoming  fa- 
miliar with  those  things  to  which  he  de- 
votes himself.  No  generalization  can  be 
made  except  to  repeat  the  truth,  that 
every  boy  has  his  interests.  In  order  to 
know  what  they  are,  each  boy  must  be 
regarded  as  an  individual,  and  attention 
paid  to  him  as  if  there  were  no  other  boys 
in  the  world. 

(2)  Endeavour  to  sympathize  gen- 
uinely with  the  big  boy  in  his  interests. 


72  Our  Big  Boys 

The  opposite  course  is  the  one  too  fre- 
quently pursued ;  the  adult,  as  a  rule,  ig- 
nores the  boy's  interests,  and  expects  him 
to  become  interested  in  those  things 
which  are  of  importance  to  his  elders. 
When  Christ  talked  with  the  woman  of 
Samaria  at  the  well,  He  manifested  a  gen- 
uine interest  in  that  which  was  of  impor- 
tance to  her,  and  because  of  the  genuine- 
ness of  His  sympathy  with  her,  was  en- 
abled to  bring  her  to  look  at  things  from 
His  standpoint.  Had  He  ignored  the 
water  and  Jacob's  Well,  He  would  not 
have  led  her  to  declare  that  He  was  the 
Messiah.  From  Him  we  may  learn  a 
much-needed  lesson ;  namely,  if  we  are  to 
get  the  boy  interested  in  the  things 
which  we  regard  as  of  prime  importance, 
we  must  show  him  that  we  are  interested 
in  those  things  which  he  considers  to  be 
the  greatest  of  all. 

(3)    Encourage    the    big    boy   in   his 
interests.     It  is  true  the  boy  may  be  in- 


Their  Interests  73 

terested  in  some  things  which  in  them- 
selves are  wrong,  but  this  is  likely  to  be 
the  exception  and  not  the  rule.  The  one 
who  is  to  benefit  the  boy  can  encour- 
age him  along  the  line  of  those  interests 
which  are  in  themselves  proper,  even  if 
they  are  not  of  the  very  highest  order. 
For  example,  a  foolish  mother  lost  her  in- 
fluence over  her  son,  because  she  was 
vexed  at  him  for  being  intensely  interested 
in  machinery,  when  she  wished  him  to 
think  of  studying  for  the  ministry.  A 
wise  father  found  that  his  son  was  neg- 
lecting his  studies  in  order  to  make 
chemical  experiments.  Instead  of  reprov- 
ing the  boy  for  what  he  was  doing,  the 
father  became  interested  in  his  work,  fit- 
ted up  a  room  on  the  top  floor  of  his 
home  as  the  boy's  laboratory,  and  pro- 
vided him  with  material  for  his  experi- 
ments. While  the  boy  did  neglect  some 
things  in  school,  the  father  kept  his  hold 
upon  him,  and  the  result  to-day  is,  that 


74  Our  Big  Boys 

boy,  now  a  man,  is  an  eminent  professor 
of  chemistry.  Did  not  the  father's  en- 
couragement pay  better  than  the  moth- 
er's vexation  ? 

(4)  Make  use  of  the  big  boy's  interests 
to  lead  him  to  higher  things.  The  pa- 
tient, studious  Sunday-school  teacher, 
learning  in  what  his  boy  is  interested, 
may  use  the  boy's  interests  to  lead  up  to 
attention  to  spiritual  things.  Most  boys 
are  interested  in  heroes  and  the  heroic. 
Perhaps  their  hero  may  be  a  pirate  or  a 
prize-fighter.  This  interest  may  be  used 
as  a  point  of  contact  between  the  boy's 
hero  and  the  heroes  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. By  degrees  he  may  be  led  to  ap- 
preciate the  heroic  in  Christianity,  The 
moral  furnished  by  the  records  of  splen- 
did achievements  on  the  mission  field 
both  in  the  past  and  the  present,  may  be 
employed  in  thus  leading  the  boy. 

Much  is  written  to-day  on  the  necessity 
for  the  teacher  observing  the  principle  of 


Their  Interests  75 

apperception,  or,  as  it  is  more  familiarly 
put,  getting  the  point  of  contact  between 
his  pupil  and  that  which  is  to  be  taught. 
While  many  suggestions  may  be  given 
as  to  how  this  may  be  done,  none  will  be 
more  fruitful  of  results  than  the  endeavour 
to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  big  boy's  interests,  in  order  to  make 
use  of  them  in  presenting  the  truths 
which  we  so  much  desire  him  to  know, 
accept,  and  follow. 

*'  But  my  big  boy  will  not  talk  to  me 
about  his  interests,"  interposes  a  teacher. 
Perfectly  true,  unless  you  and  your  big 
boy  are  intimates.  Hence,  the  impor- 
tance of  Chapter  VIII.  Unless  you  and 
your  big  boy  come  close  together,  you 
will  not  be  able  to  learn  in  what  he  is 
most  interested,  and  consequently  will  not 
be  able  to  help  him.  The  helpful  teacher 
must  get  down  to  his  pupil's  level  of 
every-day  life. 


XI 

THEIR  SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS 

THE  writer  has  in  his  mind's  eye 
a  typical  picture.  Two  years 
ago,  William  was  an  artless  boy 
in  the  Junior  Department.  He  had  many 
friends,  for  his  open-hearted  confidence 
made  it  easy  to  be  friendly  with  him. 
William,  however,  is  no  longer  a  junior ; 
a  decided  change  has  taken  place  in  him. 
Instead  of  approaching  one  with  the  art- 
less confidence  of  the  young  boy,  he  is 
shut  up  in  an  armour  of  reserve,  for  self- 
consciousness  is  playing  an  important 
part  in  his  make-up.  He  seeks  a  remote 
corner  of  the  room ;  he  is  shy  and  diffi- 
dent. It  is  with  difficulty  that  he  can  be 
induced  to  utter  more  than  a  monosyl- 
lable.    His   friends  are  alarmed   at  the 

change  that  has  taken  place  in  him,  until 
76 


Their  Self-Consciousness  77 

they  grasp  the  thought  that  it  is  due  to 
the  boy's  development. 

While  there  is  one  general  term  to  de- 
scribe this  characteristic  of  the  big  boy, 
self-consciousness,  its  manifestations  are 
almost  as  various  as  the  boys  themselves ; 
they  differ  in  different  types  of  individ- 
uals. Here  is  a  boy  whose  self-conscious- 
ness manifests  itself  in  a  morbid  sensitive- 
ness. He  is  always  looking  for  slights 
and  insults  not  intended  for  him,  and,  by 
brooding  over  his  imaginary  wrongs, 
makes  himself  a  most  miserable  individ- 
ual. Here  is  another  boy  who  imagines, 
every  time  he  is  in  public,  that  all  eyes 
are  fixed  upon  him.  His  self-conscious- 
ness, accordingly,  manifests  itself  in  nerv- 
ousness or  awkwardness.  He  is  very 
much  vexed  at  himself  for  what  he  does, 
and  yet  for  the  life  of  him  he  cannot  pre- 
vent the  sometimes  amusing  and  some- 
times hurtful  results  of  his  awkwardness 
or  nervousness. 


78  Our  Big  Boys 

When  you  speak  to  John  he  blushes, 
and,  not  understanding  the  cause  of  his 
embarrassment,  you  conclude  that  John 
has  been  doing  wrong  or  is  guilty  of 
something  which  he  wishes  very  much  to 
conceal.  Your  inference,  however,  is  al- 
together incorrect,  for  John's  blushing  is 
the  accompaniment  of  the  bashfulness 
which  is  one  of  the  natural  results  of  his 
self-consciousness. 

Henry  is  an  adolescent  of  far  different 
type.  There  is  no  timidity  or  shrinking 
in  his  make-up.  His  self-consciousness 
takes  the  form  of  self-conceit.  He  im- 
agines that  everybody  is  paying  attention 
to  him,  but  he  also  fancies  that  they  have 
reason  for  doing  so,  for  he  is  worthy  of 
much  notice.  There  is  litde  use,  at  this 
time  of  his  life,  arguing  with  him  or  laugh- 
ing at  him,  for  his  self-appreciation  gives 
him  such  a  high  opinion  of  himself  that  he 
simply  puts  you  down  as  an  **old  fogy  " 
for  not  recognizing  his  preeminent  powers. 


Their  Self-Consciousness  79 

One  form  of  self-consciousness  often 
leads  to  extremes.  Hence,  we  have  that 
bravado  which  is  so  trying  in  some  of 
our  young  friends.  Their  extravagant 
words  and  outrageous  actions  are  fre- 
quently the  results  of  this  feeling  of  im- 
portance which  has  taken  hold  of  them. 
Whatever  may  be  the  manifestations  of 
self-consciousness,  it  will  be  very  helpful  to 
remember  that  the  boy's  chief  aim  is  to 
keep  others  from  getting  at  his  real  self ; 
that  self  lies  hidden  within  him  and  he  is 
very  much  disinclined  to  expose  it  to  the 
gaze  of  another.  Hence,  his  blushing  on 
the  one  hand,  or  his  braggadocio  on  the 
other  hand,  is  very  likely  but  a  shield 
which  he  puts  before  himself  to  keep  you 
from  getting  at  him. 

In  discussing  this  subject  once,  a  group 
of  educators  gave  illustrations  as  to  the 
extremes  of  speech  and  action  to  which 
this  trait  of  self-consciousness  often  leads 
the  big  boy.     One  told  of  a  boy  in  day- 


8o  Our  Big  Boys 

school  who  had  highly  polished  his  shoes 
before  leaving  his  home,  but  who,  on  his 
way  to  school,  noticed  that  a  number  of 
his  classmates  had  mud  on  their  shoes. 
He  deliberately  stepped  into  a  mud  pud- 
dle and  thus  put  his  shoes  in  the  same 
condition  as  those  of  his  companions.  It 
was  figured  out  that  his  reason  for  this 
was  his  fear  that  his  highly  polished 
shoes  might  attract  attention  to  himself. 

Perhaps  the  very  worst  type  of  youth 
to  deal  with  is  that  in  which  the  extremes 
of  self-consciousness  alternate.  Occasion- 
ally there  is  found  a  boy  who  is  now 
bashful  and  timid,  and  again  brazen  and 
impudent.  These  divers  manifestations 
all  spring  from  the  same  root,  namely, 
self-consciousness,  and  are  dependent  on 
the  boy's  mood.  Some  conclusions  may 
be  reached  as  to  the  way  to  deal  with 
boys  in  view  of  these  facts  : 

I.  It  is  best  to  have  the  big  boys  oc- 
cupy a  place  in  the  Sunday-school  where 


Their  Self-Consciousness  8l 

they  will  attract  as  little  attention  as  pos- 
sible. Their  room  should  be  so  situated 
that  they  will  not  be  gazed  at  by  the 
whole  school.  If  they  have  not  a  room, 
a  corner  of  the  department  should  be  as- 
signed to  them,  where  they  will  not  be 
the  observed  of  all  observers. 

2.  In  questioning  such  boys,  whether 
in  the  class,  or  in  the  school  as  a  whole, 
the  proper  course  is  to  avoid  putting 
questions  to  individuals  in  such  a  way  as 
to  attract  attention  to  them.  They  may 
be  spoken  to  in  groups  or  as  a  class. 

3.  When  one  of  these  boys  persists  in 
disorder,  the  very  best  method  is  to  avoid 
saying  or  doing  anything  that  will  call 
attention  to  him.  To  discipline  him, 
simply  remain  quiet  and  let  him  call  at- 
tention to  himself.  For  him  to  realize 
that  he  has  made  himself  an  attraction, 
will  be  punishment  enough. 

As  in  dealing  with  all  other  character- 
istics of  the  young  adolescent,  it  will  be 


82  Our  Big  Boys 

necessary  in  the  case  of  the  one  under 
consideration,  to  deal  with  boys  as  indi- 
viduals, by  carefully  studying  them  and 
trying  to  help  them  through  the  period 
when  their  self-consciousness  is  most 
marked.  Hence,  the  one  who  is  to  be 
the  most  helpful,  is  he  who  understands 
the  general  principles  connected  with  this 
trait,  and  puts  this  knowledge  into  prac- 
tice in  dealing  with  individuals  person- 
ally. 


XII 

THEIR  DOUBTS 

THE  boy  in  the  pre-adolescent 
period  is  a  literalist.  He  be- 
lieves just  what  is  told  him  on 
the  authority  of  those  whom  he  respects. 
He  draws  a  straight  line  of  conduct,  and 
expects  his  elders  to  walk  according 
thereto,  although  he  may  deviate  there- 
from. A  time  comes,  however,  when  the 
frank,  truthful  boy  will  look  his  teacher 
or  pastor  in  the  face,  and  concerning 
some  truth  or  doctrine  that  the  elder  is 
trying  to  get  him  to  accept,  will  declare, 
"I  do  not  believe  that."  What  is  the 
trouble  with  him  ?  Has  some  new  species 
of  wickedness  gotten  hold  of  him  ?  No,  he 
is  simply  going  through  a  natural  evolu- 
tion ;  he  has  left  behind  him  the  literal, 
matter-of-fact  stage  of  development,  and 
83 


84  Our  Big  Boys 

has  entered  another,  in  which  he  will 
question  almost  everything. 

This  questioning  should  be  encouraged, 
for  if  attempts  are  made  to  repress  it,  the 
boy  may  become  a  hypocrite,  pretending 
one  thing,  while  he  really  believes  another. 
To  every  intelligent  person,  this  is  a 
much  worse  state  of  mind  than  that  mani- 
fested by  the  boy  who  questions  and 
gives  one  an  opportunity  to  explain. 

Doubt  begins  at  about  twelve  years  of 
age,  and  reaches  its  climax  in  the  normal 
youth  at  about  nineteen.  At  first,  it  is 
simply  a  part  of  the  adolescent's  develop- 
ment. He  doubts  largely  because  it  is 
in  his  nature  to  rebel  against  everything. 
Afterwards,  however,  his  doubts  become 
more  intellectual,  and,  therefore,  more 
serious. 

Concerning  two  facts  at  least,  the  one 
interested  in  the  big  boy  should  be  con- 
vinced. First :  the  big  boy's  doubts  can- 
not be  laughed  away.     They  may  seem 


Their  Doubts  85 

to  disappear  in  the  presence  of  ridicule, 
but  they  are  simply  concealed  beneath 
an  exterior  that  does  not  betray  what  is 
going  on  in  the  boy's  mind.  Second  : 
they  cannot  be  crushed  out.  Foolish 
persons  have  undertaken  the  serious  task 
of  compeUing  a  boy  to  give  up  his  doubts. 
Such  attempts  always  result  not  only  in 
failure,  so  far  as  the  doubts  themselves 
are  concerned,  but  in  the  endeavourer 
losing  his  influence  with  the  boy. 

Is  the  teacher,  then,  helpless  in  the 
presence  of  adolescents'  doubts  ?  Not  at 
all ;  it  means  much  for  him  to  know  that 
doubt  is  natural  to  the  big  boy,  and  it 
means  more  if  this  knowledge  will  enable 
him  to  go  on  treating  the  boy  in  a 
friendly  way  as  if  the  doubts  had  no 
existence. 

While,  as  in  dealing  with  other  charac- 
teristics of  the  big  boys,  no  definite  line  of 
treatment  can  be  prescribed,  as  they  difier 
so  much  one  from  the  other,  two  sugges- 


c 


6  Our  Big  Boys 


tions  may  be  made,  the  following  of 
which  will  help  greatly  in  tiding  the  boys 
over  the  period  of  doubt : 

1.  One  reason  for  the  boy's  doubt  is 
his  lack  of  knowledge.  He  fancies  that 
he  knows  a  great  deal ;  the  fact  is,  he 
knows  very  little.  He  doubts,  because 
he  thinks  he  knows  it  all,  whereas,  the 
data  at  his  command  are  not  sufficient  to 
convince  him  of  the  reality  of  those  things 
which  he  questions.  Hence,  a  wise 
course  of  procedure  is  utterly  to  ignore 
the  doubts,  but  at  the  same  time  to  keep 
giving  information  concerning  those 
things  which  are  doubted.  The  in- 
structor must  be  very  careful  that  his  in- 
formation is  correct,  for  if  he  deceives  the 
boy  in  one  point,  the  latter  will  ques- 
tion things  that  are  true,  as  he  thinks 
of  this  deception. 

2.  To  the  big  boy  nothing  speaks 
with  quite  as  much  force  as  truth  in- 
carnated in  a  person.     Therefore,  to  get 


Their  Doubts  87 

him  away  from  his  doubt,  those  whom  he 
looks  up  to  as  his  instructors  and  leaders 
should  live  quietly,  but  persistently,  the 
truths  which  the  boy  questions.  For  ex- 
ample, a  lot  of  boys  once  paid  particular 
attention  to  their  minister  when  he  lost 
his  brother.  He  had  often  preached  to 
them  of  the  Christian's  hope  of  immor- 
tality, and  of  the  joy  of  meeting  loved 
ones  above.  The  time  came  for  him  to 
practice  what  he  preached,  and  his  young 
people,  who  questioned  the  great  truths 
which  he  had  announced  with  so  much 
conviction,  were  very  eager  to  observe 
just  how  he  acted  when  he,  himself,  was 
called  to  give  up  a  loved  one.  His  living 
as  if  he  actually  believed  what  he  had 
been  teaching,  did  more  to  convince  his 
big  boys  of  the  reality  of  some  spiritual 
truths  they  had  doubted  than  any  number 
of  sermons  or  any  amount  of  arguing 
would  have  done. 

There    comes    a    time  of    settling  of 


88  Our  Big  Boys 

doubts,  when  the  doubter  will  seek  help. 
Naturally,  he  will  go  to  the  one  in  whom 
he  has  most  confidence.  That  one  most 
likely  will  be  the  person  whom  he  has 
observed  as  living  true  to  his  convictions. 
Hence,  there  is  nothing  at  all  hopeless  in 
the  effort  to  deal  with  the  big  boy  when 
he  is  passing  through  the  period  of 
doubt.  Without  saying  a  word  to  him, 
a  life  may  be  lived  which  will  speak  in 
ummistakable  language,  which  will  affect 
him,  because  he  will  think  about  it ;  it  will 
lead  him  to  go  to  the  one  who  lives  that 
life  for  help  when  he  is  beginning  to  come 
to  himself  again.  What  a  glorious  priv- 
ilege this  is  for  the  pastor,  parent,  or 
teacher ! 


XIII 

THEIR  DAY-DREAMS 

"  If  WAS  nineteen  years  old  before  i 

I     had  a  day-dream." 
**  How  was  that  ?  " 

**  I  followed  the  plow  like  a  dumb 
beast  and  thought  nothing  of  anything 
but  my  work,  food,  and  sleep/' 

"What  occurred  when  you  were  nine- 
teen?'' 

**  I  awoke,  then,  and  for  a  few  years 
dreamed  at  a  lively  rate." 

The  one  referred  to  in  this  conver- 
sation was  an  exception  to  the  rule. 
When  he  narrated  his  experience,  it  was 
for  the  purpose  of  showing  that  there  are 
exceptions,  for  as  the  principal  of  a 
school  he  had  learned  that  his  boys  of 
the  early  adolescent  age  were  dreaming 
89 


90  Our  Big  Boys 

day-dreams.  As  a  rule,  this  is  a  fact ; 
anything  else  is  an  exception. 

He  sat  in  an  old-fashioned  pew  in  an 
old-fashioned  church,  facing  an  old-fash- 
ioned minister  delivering  an  old-fashioned 
sermon.  He  was  fourteen  years  old,  and 
he  was  saying  to  himself,  as  he  looked  at 
the  old-fashioned  minister,  '*  If  I  were  up 
there  I  would  show  him  how  to  preach.'* 
He  has  preached  many  a  sermon  since 
that  day,  but  it  is  a  very  serious  question 
whether  any  of  them  were  ever  as  good 
as  the  one  delivered  by  the  old-fashioned 
minister.  The  point  to  be  remembered 
is  :  At  fourteen  he  was  dreaming  his  day- 
dreams, and  they  were  in  the  line  of  his 
future  career. 

Not  every  big  boy,  however,  is  dream- 
ing that  he  is  to  be  a  minister  ;  but  very 
likely  he  is  having  his  dreams  all  the 
same.  A  clergyman  once  reproved  two 
boys  of  about  fifteen  years  of  age  for 
outrageous  conduct    in    Sunday-school. 


Their  Day-Dreams  91 

The  boys  withdrew  not  only  from  the 
Sunday-school,  but  also  from  the  church. 
Their  pastor  desired  very  much  to  get 
them  back,  and,  seeking  advice  from  the 
mother  of  one  of  them,  who  was  equally 
solicitous  that  her  boy  should  return  to 
Sunday-school,  was  informed  that  the 
boy  imagined  himself  a  great  railroad 
magnate,  and  that,  with  the  other  boy 
who  had  been  spoken  to  in  Sunday- 
school,  and  a  third  young  fellow,  was 
accustomed  to  meet  regularly  at  the 
house  of  the  last  named  and  play  at 
being  railroad  manipulators.  The  clergy- 
man made  a  call  at  a  time  when  the 
three  boys  were  together,  manifested  his 
interest  in  their  railroad  schemes,  got 
them  to  talking  about  themselves,  learned 
at  first  hand  of  their  day-dreams,  sympa- 
thized with  them  in  these  dreams,  became 
their  friend,  and  got  them  back  to  Sun- 
day-school. 

Many  boys  are  dreaming  on  a  much 


g2  Our  Big  Boys 

lower  level  than  any  of  those  named.  A 
boy,  for  example,  may  be  dreaming  that 
he  is  a  prize-fighter,  or  that  he  is  a  pirate. 
However  much  one  may  deprecate  the 
form  assumed  by  his  dreams,  the  fact 
that  he  is  dreaming  must  be  recognized 
if  any  good  is  to  be  done  him. 

Of  one  fact  we  may  be  quite  certain, 
namely,  the  teacher  appears  very  small 
in  the  sight  of  the  boy,  whose  very  being 
is  filled  with  the  dreams  of  the  greatness 
that  he  is  to  achieve  in  the  future  or 
which  is  already  his  in  imagination. 
The  teacher  who  realizes  his  littleness 
as  compared  with  the  boy's  bigness,  has 
already  gained  a  point  in  dealing  with 
the  boy,  for  he  will  not  be  put  out  at  any 
manifestation  of  disrespect,  knowing  that 
it  is  based  largely  on  the  boy's  thought 
of  his  own  greatness  as  compared  with 
his  teacher's  lack  of  greatness. 

One  other  fact  must  be  reckoned  with, 
namely,  it  is  very  difficult  for  the  teacher 


Their  Day-Dreams  93 

to  learn  just  what  the  big  boy's  day- 
dreams are,  for  he  is  very  loath  to  talk 
about  them,  being  afraid  that  he  will  be 
ridiculed  if  he  exposes  the  secrets  of  his 
heart.  Difficult  as  the  task  may  be,  it 
will  pay  large  dividends  to  the  teacher 
who  sets  himself  quietly  to  work  to  dis- 
cover his  boys'  day-dreams,  in  order  that 
he  may  sympathize  with  them  in  their 
imaginings,  and  thus  obtain  that  hold 
upon  them  which  may  be  used  to  their 
advantage. 

The  very  best  method  to  be  pursued 
in  the  endeavour  to  discover  the  boy's 
dreams,  is  to  get  him  alone,  somewhere, 
and  talk  with  him  on  general  subjects. 
Little  by  litde,  he  may  be  led  to  talk 
about  himself,  and,  after  some  time,  if  he 
is  assured  of  a  sympathetic  listener,  he 
will  reveal  that  which  occupies  his 
thoughts  and  his  listener  may  infer  his 
dreams. 

Three  questions  are   generally  asked 


94  Our  Big  Boys 

when  the  subject  of  day-dreams  is  dis- 
cussed : 

1.  Should  an  attempt  be  made  to  get 
the  boy  to  give  up  his  day-dreams? 
The  answer  is  a  most  emphatic  no. 
Indirectly,  he  may  be  led  to  think  of 
other  things,  but  if  an  effort  is  made  to 
laugh  him  out  of  his  dreams,  or  argue 
him  away  from  them,  he  will  only  hold 
to  them  all  the  more. 

2.  Should  he  be  encouraged  in  his 
day-dreams,  if  they  are  not  in  the  line 
of  the  high  ideal  ?  For  example,  suppose 
he  is  dreaming  that  he  is  going  to  be- 
come a  prize-fighter.  There  will  be  no 
use  to  ridicule  this  dream,  but  persist- 
ently he  may  be  led  to  think  of  fighting 
other  things  than  men,  and  then  he  may 
be  encouraged  to  fight  evil  in  its  various 
forms,  and  thus  his  dream,  which  is  on 
the  lower  level,  turned  into  the  reality, 
which  is  higher. 

3.  Should  a  boy  be  allowed  to  neglect 


Their  Day-Dreams  95 

present  duties  because  he  has  day- 
dreams ?  Most  Hkely  he  will,  unless  he 
is  very  wisely  dealt  with.  His  day- 
dreams should  be  made  use  of  to  get 
him  to  engage  in  present  duties.  For 
example,  if  a  boy  is  dreaming  that  he  is 
a  great  physician,  he  may  be  encouraged 
in  his  dreams,  but  shown  the  impossibility 
of  his  becoming  such  as  he  desires  to  be 
unless  he  engages  in  hard  study. 

The  difficulty  of  laying  down  any 
positive  directions,  we  acknowledge. 
The  great  point  to  be  borne  in  mind  is 
that  the  boy  does  dream  day-dreams, 
and  that  he  must  be  very  patiently 
handled  while  they  have  their  hold  on 
him. 


XIV 

THEIR  LOVE  AFFAIRS 

•'TT'VE  lost  my  baby." 

I  "What  do  you  mean  by  your 
baby?  I  did  not  know  that  you 
had  one.'' 

"  Oh,  I  mean  Charlie." 

"  But  Charlie  is  no  baby ;  how  old  is 
he?" 

**  He  is  thirteen  years  old,  but  he  is 
still  my  baby." 

"The  very  best  way  to  lose  him  by 
making  him  think  less  of  you,  is  to  call 
him  a  baby  and  treat  him  as  such.  Do 
you  not  know  that  in  his  own  estimation 
Charlie  is  a  very  big  boy  and  that  he  dis- 
likes to  be  called  a  baby  ?  But  tell  me 
why  you  say  you  have  lost  him." 

"Well,  he  used  to  kiss  me  good-night 

when  he  went  to  bed  and  he  would  kiss 
96 


Their  Love  Affairs  97 

me  when  he  went  to  school  and  come 
back  home,  but  now  he  does  not  seem  to 
care  for  me  at  all.  If  I  attempt  to  kiss 
him  or  manifest  any  affection  for  him,  he 
turns  away  from  me,  and  I  feel  that  I 
have  lost  him,"  saying  which,  the  mother 
burst  out  weeping-. 

Her  pastor,  to  whom  she  was  teUing 
her  troubles,  hastened  to  assure  her  that 
she  had  not  lost  her  boy,  that  he  was 
simply  going  through  a  natural  develop- 
ment, and  had  now  reached  that  stage  of 
it  in  which  he  did  not  care  for  any  dem- 
onstration of  affection.  His  love  for  his 
mother  was  just  as  great  as  ever,  but  he 
did  not  manifest  it.  The  mother  was  in- 
formed further  that  Charlie  was  not  now 
in  the  kissing  age,  that  he  did  not  want 
at  present  to  kiss  any  one,  but  that  in 
three  or  four  years  from  now  he  would 
kiss,  not  only  his  mother,  but  others, 
upon  whom  she  would  not  care  to  have 
him  lavish  any  affection.     The  pastor  en- 


98  Our  Big  Boys 

deavoured  to  console  the  good  lady  with 
the  thought  that  by  and  by  her  boy,  if 
she  did  not  alienate  his  affection  by  urg- 
ing upon  him  those  things  for  which  he 
had  no  liking,  would  return  her  love  with 
tenfold  interest. 

The  above  illustration  recalls  a  princi- 
ple that  is  now  being  recognized,  namely  : 
Boys,  in  the  early  adolescent  period,  do 
not  wish  any  demonstration  of  affection. 
One  may  show  one's  love  for  the  big  boy 
in  other  ways  than  by  kissing  or  employ- 
ing endearing  epithets.  The  boy,  while 
resenting  manifestations  of  affection, 
knows  who  loves  him,  appreciates  the 
love,  and  will  repay  it  some  day. 

We  are  beginning  to  learn  also  that 
the  big  boy's  love  affairs  are  not  those  of 
the  adult.  For  example,  he  is  not  deeply 
in  love  with  the  prayer-meeting,  with  the 
study  of  the  Bible  or  with  religious  con- 
versation. These  things,  for  the  present 
are,  as  a  rule,  without  the  pale  of  his  af- 


Their  Love  Affairs  99 

fection.  This  does  not  mean,  however, 
that  he  is  not  in  love. 

Did  you  ever  notice  a  poor,  miserable 
boy  living  in  a  hovel  on  the  outskirts  of 
a  village  or  city  ?  His  surroundings  are 
wretched  and  he  is  the  last  one  in  the 
world  that  the  superficial  observer  w^ould 
imagine  to  be  in  love.  But  do  you  see 
that  yellow  dog  ?  You  call  the  animal  a 
cur,  but  that  big  boy  yonder  is  deeply  in 
love  with  that  dog,  and  the  dog  loves 
him  with  an  unselfishness  that  is  beauti- 
ful to  behold.  Watch  the  boy  as  he 
shares  his  food  with  him  and  makes  a 
companion  of  him.  See  the  dog  as  he 
follows  his  master,  and,  should  occasion 
require  it,  is  prepared  to  yield  his  life  in 
defense  of  him  or  in  helpfulness  to  him. 

Look  at  that  other  boy,  who  lives  in 
an  entirely  different  environment.  He  is 
in  love  with  his  pony.  One  morning  he 
goes  out  to  the  barn,  to  find  that  his 
favourite  is  very  ill.     Those  tears  which 


loo  Our  Big  Boys 

he  sheds  are  as  genuine  as  ever  dropped 
from  the  eyes  of  one  in  love  with  another. 
That  shout  of  exultation  which  escapes 
him  when  he  realizes  that  his  beloved 
pony  is  out  of  danger,  is  a  genuine  ex- 
pression of  the  unadulterated  joy  which 
fills  his  heart. 

It  has  been  found  in  the  crowded  quar- 
ters of  our  cities  that  in  some  cases  the 
one  redeeming  quality  in  the  young 
adolescent  is  his  love  for  some  pet  or  for 
something  upon  which  he  could  lavish 
his  otherwise  pent-up  emotions.  Strange 
to  say,  to  many  boys,  the  pigeons  they 
house  upon  the  roof  of  the  tenement  in 
which  they  exist  are  the  objects  of  their 
aflection. 

The  big  boy  is  in  love  with  his  gang. 
He  would  stand  any  kind  of  punishment, 
even  death  itself,  before  he  would  betray 
one  of  its  members.  This  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  it  is  so  necessary  to  take 
into    consideration    the  influence  of  the 


Their  Love  Affairs  loi 

gang  instinct  in  dealing  with  the  young 
adolescent. 

To  help  us  in  dealing  with  our  big 
boys  we  must  remember  that  in  the  age 
under  consideration,  the  sexes  repel  each 
other.  The  boy  who  played  with  the 
girl  when  he  was  ten  years  old,  now 
avoids  her,  and  seeks  the  company  of  the 
gang.  In  a  few  years  he  will  separate 
from  the  gang  for  the  girl's  sake,  but 
just  at  present  he  has  no  use  for  her. 
This  helps  us  in  assigning  our  big  boys 
to  classes.  In  the  first  place,  boys  and 
girls  of  this  age  should  be  in  separate 
classes.  In  the  second  place,  they 
should,  wherever  possible,  have  teachers 
of  the  same  sex.  Towards  the  end  of 
this  period  the  sexual  instinct  will  take 
another  direction,  and  then  the  big  boy 
who  has  entered  the  middle  adolescent 
stage,  will  require  a  different  considera- 
tion. 


XV 

CONCLUSION 

A  BLACKSMITH  was  accustomed 
to  come  to  his  pastor  several 
times  during  the  month  for  a 
friendly  chat.  Invariably,  during  these 
conversations,  he  would  tell  how  difficult 
his  work  was,  as  he  attempted  to  make 
various  articles  of  iron.  After  this  had 
gone  on  for  about  three  years,  and  the 
ironworker  had  come  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  difficulties  of  a  Sunday- 
school  teacher,  he  sought  out  his  pastor 
and  said,  **I  still  do  think  my  work  is 
very  hard,  but  I  am  beginning  to  realize 
that  your  work  is  more  difficult  than 
mine.  It  is  easier  to  weld  iron  than  to 
mould  people.  I  shall  never  complain  of 
my   work    again."     This   philosophy   of 

102 


Conclusion  103 

the  blacksmith  should  be  heeded  by  the 
Sunday-school  worker.  The  most  diffi- 
cult thing  one  can  attempt  is  to  en- 
deavour to  train  persons.  This  is  es- 
pecially true  of  those  going  through  the 
trials  of  adolescence.  The  work  is  hard, 
but  it  must  never  be  forgotten  that  it  is  a 
blessed  one  ;  it  is  discouraging,  but  it 
pays  large  dividends  to  the  patient 
labourer. 

The  writer  has  learned  a  number  of 
lessons  from  his  friend,  the  peach-raiser. 
This  gentleman  has  been  wonderfully 
successful  in  his  attempts  to  cultivate 
certain  brands  of  peaches,  which  sell  for 
large  prices  in  the  markets  of  the  great 
cities.  He  declares  that  three  things,  at 
least,  are  essential  for  the  successful 
peach-raiser,  namely,  knowledge,  com- 
mon sense,  and  perseverance.  If  they 
are  needed  for  the  peach-grower,  much 
more  are  they  necessary  to  the  one  who 
handles  big  boys  in  the  Sunday-school. 


104  Our  Big  Boys 

So  far  as  knowledge  is  concerned,  it 
has  been  the  aim  of  the  writer  to  give  it 
to  the  reader.  We  have  looked  at  the 
boy  in  his  varied  relationships,  and  con- 
sidered his  different  characteristics.  The 
knowledge  thus  acquired  ought  to  be  in- 
valuable to  the  one  who  wishes  to  hold 
the  big  boy  to  the  Sunday-school  and 
train  him  for  future  usefulness  in  the 
kingdom  of  God.  The  peach-grower, 
however,  is  not  satisfied  with  present 
attainments,  however  great  they  may  be ; 
he  is  always  on  the  lookout  for  new 
facts ;  he  is  ever  reading  the  records  of 
the  successes  and  failures  of  others ;  he 
is  constantly  questioning  those  engaged 
in  a  like  occupation  with  himself.  So 
should  it  be  with  the  one  who  hopes  to 
be  a  successful  teacher  of  big  boys ;  the 
knowledge  he  has  should  be  but  the 
stepping-stone  to  more  knowledge.  In 
order  to  obtain  this,  he  should  read,  con- 
verse with  others,  and  prize  as  a  privi- 


Conclusion  105 

lege  every  opportunity-  afforded  him  of 
becoming  better  acquainted  with  boys  in 
general,  for  the  larger  his  knowledge  in 
this  respect,  the  better  will  he  be  able  to 
deal  with  the  individuals  in  his  class. 

Some  of  the  most  marked  failures  in 
every  walk  of  life  have  arisen,  not  be- 
cause of  lack  of  knowledge,  but  because 
of  the  failure  to  apply  what  was  known. 
To  his  knowledge  the  instructor  of  big 
boys  must  add  common  sense.  There  is 
no  use  in  declaring  that  common  sense  is 
a  rare  commodity,  or  in  asserting  that  if 
one  has  it  not,  it  is  impossible  to  get  it. 
Peter  was  a  rash,  impetuous  follower  of 
Jesus.  He  was  lacking  in  common  sense. 
The  Holy  Spirit,  however,  transformed 
Peter  into  a  skilled  workman  for  the 
Master,  and  a  successful  leader  in  the 
kingdom  of  God.  What  was  Peter's 
part  ?  Was  it  not  to  love  ?  Cannot  the 
worker  love — love  Christ  supremely  and 
love  his  boys  for  Christ's  sake  ?    Where 


io6  Our  Big  Boys 

there  is  this  love  there  will  be  a  constant 
turning  to  the  Master  for  help.  He, 
through  His  Holy  Spirit,  will  give  that 
which  is  needed.  In  saying  this,  it  is 
understood,  perfectly,  that  the  Lord  uses 
those  agents  who  are  best  fitted  for  His 
work.  Hence,  the  need  for  the  study 
suggested  so  frequently.  To  him,  how- 
ever, who  does  his  part,  the  Lord  grants 
whatever  is  needed  to  make  up  his 
deficiency.  Among  the  all  things  prom- 
ised is  common  sense.  If  one  has  a 
sincere  love  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  an 
earnest  desire  to  be  a  skilled  workman, 
and  does  his  part  to  the  utmost  of  his 
ability,  the  Lord  will  give  him  the  power 
to  do  all  that  is  needed.  Is  it  not  amaz- 
ing, the  number  of  persons  we  know 
who  display  great  common  sense  in  the 
every-day  affairs  of  life,  who  seem  to  be 
devoid  of  it  in  connection  with  Sunday- 
school  work?  Is  it  uncharitable  to  sup- 
pose that  they  love  their  daily  occupa- 


Conclusion  107 

tions  more  than  their  work  for  the  Mas- 
ter? 

To  knowledge  and  common  sense 
must  be  added  perseverance,  in  dealing 
with  big  boys.  One  may  know  much 
and  be  helped  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
yet  not  have  immediate  success.  This  is 
a  difficult  lesson  for  workers  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard  to  learn.  Many  imagine 
that  if  they  are  properly  equipped  for 
their  work,  and  have  the  blessing  of  the 
Almighty  in  it,  success  must  come  at 
once.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case. 
There  is  need  of  perseverance  here,  as 
elsewhere.  He  who  lacks  it  will  have 
little  power  over  big  boys,  who  will  try 
him  to  the  utmost. 

The  writer  recently  met  a  gentleman 
who  changed  his  occupation  several 
times  because  of  drawbacks  connected 
with  each  business  in  which  he  engaged. 
After  losing  much  time,  and  going  from 
place  to  place,  he  finally  settled  down  at 


lo8  Our  Big  Boys 

a  business  that  requires  large  knowledge, 
great  tact,  and  endless  perseverance.  In 
it  he  is  most  successful,  simply  because 
he  has  learned,  by  experience,  that  these 
things  are  necessary  to  success  in  any 
undertaking.  He  might  have  known 
this  truth  years  ago,  if  he  were  not  so 
foolish  as  to  fancy  that  by  changing  his 
occupation  he  could  get  rid  of  the  diffi- 
culties connected  with  all  endeavours  in 
life.  From  him  the  teacher  of  big  boys 
should  learn  a  lesson.  His  work  is  no 
more  difficult  than  any  other  work  for 
the  Master.  His  boys  are  not  harder  to 
handle  than  other  boys.  If  he  were  to 
change  either  his  line  of  work  or  the 
boys  he  is  endeavouring  to  benefit,  he 
would  be  face  to  face  with  other  diffi- 
culties. What  he  should  do  is  to  resolve 
that  just  where  God  has  placed  him, 
with  just  the  material  that  he  has  at 
hand,  he  will  give  diligence  to  present 
himself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman 


Conclusion  109 

that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed  (2 
Tim.  2  :  15).  This  will  be  by  studying  as 
we  have  suggested,  by  coming  so  to 
know  Jesus  Christ  that  he  will  love  Him 
supremely,  and  by  praying  for  the  perse- 
verance necessary  to  hold  on  to  his  boys 
until  they  are  brought  to  know  and  love 
Christ. 

The  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter, 
therefore,  is  this  :  Study  the  boy  at  first 
hand,  in  order  to  become  acquainted 
with  him  as  an  individual  differing  from 
all  other  boys ;  study  books  about  boys 
in  general,  in  order  to  know  their  various 
characteristics  and  what  to  do  under  dif- 
ferent circumstances ;  apply  what  has 
been  learned  in  the  every-day  work  of 
the  class,  being  always  willing  to  make 
modifications  and  changes,  according  to 
circumstances.  Above  all,  do  not  be  dis- 
couraged if  results  do  not  come  at  once. 
Remember  how  patiently  and  persever- 
ingly    Jesus    Christ    laboured   for   three 


1 1  o  Our  Big  Boys 

years,  with  little  apparent  fruitage.  Do 
not  forget  how  patient  the  Lord  is  with 
us  all,  even  at  those  times  when  we  seem 
to  be  at  our  worst.  In  due  season  we 
shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not. 


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only    handy    in    form   but   wondrously    complete." — Christian 
Intelligencer. 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  and  THE  CHILDREN 

awns';..',!; i.  '  ,      ■  ,     ,  ,     —  inn      i  -rBa 

A.  H.  McKINNEY,  Ph.D. 


Former  Secretary  N.   Y,  State  S.  S,  Association. 

Practical  Pedagogy  m  the  Sunday  School 

i6m,o,  cloth,  net  50c. 

"The  principles  v.hich  underlie  successful  teaching  are 
taken  up  under  various  lieads,  as  'Apperception,'  'Adap- 
tation,' etc.,  and  the  art  of  illustrating,  questioning,  etc 
Many  things  which  teachers  instinctively  find  out  for  them- 
selves arc  here  supported  with  reasons,  and  every  teachw 
will  find  helpful  suggestions  which  are   nevf."—Watchf}um* 

H.  E.  CARMACK 

How  to  Teach  a  Sunday  School  Lesson 

i2mo,  cloth,  net  7Sc. 

New  ways,  new  methods,  new  plans  characterize  this 
new  work  which  reflects  the  spirit  of  our  progressive  affe. 
It  is  decidedly  fresh,  and  original  in  its  treatment  of  tne 
subject  of  lesson  teaching. 

RA  Y  CLARKSON  HARKER 

The  Work  of  the  Sunday  School 

A  Manual  for  Teachers.    i2mo,  cloth,  net  $1.00. 

Fresh,  original,  stimulating,  this  book  is  the  product 
of  research,  study  and  thought.  Because  of  its  inspirational 
character,  it  will  impart  a  new  impetus  to  Sunday  School 
workers.  The  book  was  inspired  by  lectures  delivered  by  Mr, 
Harker  at   Summer  Assemblies  and  Chautauquas, 

BASIL  MATHEWS,  M.A. 

The  Fascinated  Child 

A  Quest  for  the  Child  Spirit  and  Talks  with  Boy« 
and  Girls.     i2mo,  cloth,  net  $1.00. 

A  book  for  the  parent,  teacher  and  minister.  Part  I, 
Wbnder  and  the  Hero,  or  the  Quest  for  the  Child  Spirit. 
In  Part  II,  Talks  With  the  Children.  Part  III,  Primary 
Talks. 

ALBERT  C.  MACKINNON,  M.A. 

The  Bible  Zoo 

Talks  to  Children  about  the  Birds,  Beasts  and  In- 
sects  of  the   Bible.     i2mo,  cloth,  net  $1.00. 

The  author  says  in  his  foreword,  "Come  with  me,  chil- 
dren, for  a  stroll  through  the  ;-oological  gardens  of  the  Scrip- 
ture. ....As  we  take  our  walk  through  these  Bible  grounds 
I  want  you  to  listen  to  all  the  sermons  preached  to  us  by 
the  inhabitants  of  this  koo."  "The  "Zoo"  contains  "the  Bird 
House,"  "the  Insect  House,"  "the  lyion  House"  and  "the 
Outside  Paddock." 


Date  Due 

f) 

Prmceton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  01040  3915 


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